Turkish agency helps turn Tlamelong into vocational textile training centre
Some 14 Botswana students have been granted scholarships for different undergraduate and graduate programmes in Turkey since the opening of the Turkish Embassy in Gaborone in 2014.
Turkish Ambassador to Botswana H.E Meltem Buyukkarakas finds these numbers below their potential and has resolved to use the remainder of her tenure to particularly increase her focus on education and scholarships.
She explained that in the current academic year, five (5) students were found to be eligible for Turkish scholarships. “We are trying to reach out more young Batswana and to make them aware of this opportunity because these students will become bridges of lasting friendship between our countries”, she told The Midweek Sun Monday at her offices in Gaborone.
She is particularly happy to see increasing numbers of applications for Turkish scholarships this year, which she said indicates the “increasing awareness” among young Batswana about the opportunities of studying in Turkey.
She hopes that in the coming years, they can send more Batswana to Turkey to continue their education in Turkish universities and reiterated this ambition with the affirmation: “We will do our best to increase the number of young Batswana having the opportunity of studying in Turkey in the coming years”.
Buyukkarakas is a firm believer in the importance of promoting diplomatic relations between Turkey and Botswana through peopleto-people contacts.
She reckons that scholarships bring youngsters from both countries together and facilitates mutual understanding as goodwill ambassadors of their countries.
“After graduation these young people return to their countries and help in creating new avenues of cooperation”, she said.
Turkey, which celebrates the 97th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey tomorrow (October 29th), holds education as one of the priority areas in its relations with most African countries.
Turkey has been granting scholarships to international students from all over the world. In fact, the envoy indicated that more than 10, 000 students from all African countries studied in Turkey under the Turkish government’s scholarships programme since early 90s.
The envoy revealed that Turkey and Botswana are “working on drafting new agreements” in several areas among them, education, health and agriculture. To this end, she explained that the Turkish Development Agency – TIKA- is currently working on a technical cooperation project on greenhouse cultivation of horticultural products with Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN).
TIKA has also donated 17 sewing machines including industrial ones to Botswana Red Cross Society Tlamelong Rehabilitation Centre, which the embassy handed over yesterday (27 October).
According to Buyukkarakas, the project aims to contribute to the efforts of Botswana Red Cross to transform Tlamelong Rehabilitation Centre into a “vocational textile-training centre” and to empower young people living with disabilities with valuable skills that they can use in their future for their livelihoods.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Red Cross Secretary General Kutlwano Mukokomani explained that Botswana Red Cross Established Tlamelong Rehabilitation Centre in 1974, with a mandate to provide skills training to youth with disabilities from all over Botswana and rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
He said the Centre provides vocational training in Textile and Horticulture, Physiotherapy Services to its students and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The centre offers training for young adults with disabilities aged eighteen (18) to (35) and it enrols thirty-four (34) residential young adults for a two (2) year practical vocational training courses. Certification is done by Madirelo Testing and Training Centre.
During their two (2) years training, trainees are equipped with skills in activities of daily living / independent living; Social interaction; Non-formal education (reading and writing); Physiotherapy; Recreational swimming; Indoor and outdoor sports and Cardio fitness training.
Mukokomani mentioned that with the rise in cases of gender based violence the Centre will extend its vocational training to young women from Tlokweng to save them from this scourge.