The Portia Chipaladza- Tobedza National Readership Campaign Hits 100 Schools!
Highlights: September 2015 to September 2022
• Seven years of a Nation- wide Readership Campaign
• 100 schools visited
• Six regions reached
• 4012 life- skills books worth almost one million pula donated • Tens of thousands of students inspired
• Two national top achievers who attributed their academic
excellence to the Campaign
The Portia Chipaladza- Tobedza ( PCT) National Readership Campaign kicked off in September 2015 at Parwe Junior and Madiba Senior Secondary Schools. In September of 2022, the Campaign clocked its hundredth school at Lotsane Senior, essentially covering almost half of Botswana’s 247 public secondary schools.
The PCT National Readership Campaign is the brainchild of Portia Chipaladza- Tobedza a bighearted business executive and zestful book lover. In 2015, she read Know What Matters, a local life skills book authored by Saidi Mdala and published by Game Changers Media. She loved the book so much that she decided to share it with as many students in public schools around Botswana. Later Bolux Group, her employer, would throw their weight behind her initiative and powered the last three years of the Campaign leading to the 100 schools milestone.
Over the past seven years, Game Changers Media, Portia’s initial partner would deliver books to a selected school, give students an inspirational speech on the importance of readership in getting ahead in any chosen life endeavour, reward hardworking students who distinguished themselves in several areas of excellence, and leave copies for the school library. It worked wonders.
Oratile Masinki, one such hardworking student, received a copy of Know What Matters at Moeding College in 2017, aced his senior school leaving public exams with a perfect score, secured a Debswana scholarship that saw him successfully complete his advanced level at the coveted Maru- a- Pula School, before getting further sponsorship to study mechatronics engineering at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.
Lebalwaemang Gabete, the 2018 national top achiever, came across a library copy of Know What Matters at Tutume McConnell College in 2017; read through it, God knows how many times, scored 8A* s in his senior leaving exams and earned himself a government scholarship to Maru- a- Pula school. Like Oratile, two years later Leba would ace his Advanced level international exams and get a further sponsorship to Australia where he now tackles a double degree programme in aerospace engineering and computer science, while working as a research assistant at his university.
Tens of thousands more students have benefited from the PCT National Readership Campaign in several ways and so have many others who accessed the books from 23 beneficiary public and community libraries, as well as village reading rooms.
Below is the list of ONE HUNDRED
SCHOOLS according to their regions/ sub- regions clustered in six phases of the Campaign:
Phase One: School 1 – 15 in the Tutume Sub- Region and part North- East and South- East regions
1 Parwe CJSS
2 Madiba SSS
3 Marang CJSS
4 Naledi SSS
5 Gaborone SSS
6 Moses Mengwe CJSS
7 Nkange CJSS
8 Tutume McConnell College
9 Shangano CJSS
10 Tlhalogang CJSS
11 Francistown SSS
12 Taung CJSS
13 Marulamantsi CJSS
14 Kagiso SSS
15 Maikano CJSS
Phase 2: School 16 – 30 in South East, Kweneng, Kgatleng and Southern Regions
16 Molefhi SSS
17 Morama CJSS
18 Kgari Sechele SSS
19 Baratani CJSS
20 Ramotswa CJSS
21 Baitloti CJSS
22 Kelemogile CJSS
23 Moeding College
24 Nanogang CJSS
25 Mogditshane SSS
26 Moshupa SSS
27 Motswedi CJSS
28 Mookami CJSS
29 Thamaga CJSS
30 Kgale Hill CJSS
Phase 3: School 31 – 46 in Selebo and Mahalapye sub- regions
31 Bobonong
32 Gobojango
33 Matshekge SSS
34 Mosetlha
35 Bobonoong Brigade
36 Badale
37 Mmadinare SSS
38 Boikhutso
39 Makhubu
40 Mojamorago
41 S/ Phikwe SSS
42 Sefhophe
43 Motlhasedi
44 Tsetsebye
45 Mokobeng JSS
46 Boswelakgosi JSS
47 St Joseph’s Primary - 2018 Alumni
Phase 4: School 48 – 65 in the North West and South- East Regions
48 Maun SSS
49 Moeti JSS
50 Tshwaragano JSS
51 Sedie JSS
52 Maitlamo JSS
53 Ngami JSS
54 Sekgoma JSS
55 Okavango JSS
56 Etsha JSS
57 Popagano JSS
58 Shakawe JSS
69 Shakawe SSS
60 Ngambao JSS
61 Gowa JSS
62 Tsodilo JSS
63 St Joseph’s College
64 Matlala JSS
65 Tlogatloga JSS
Phase 5: School 66 – 80, in Ghanzi/ Kgalagadi and part Southern Regions
66 Marakanelo JSS
67 Rethuseng JSS
68 Tshimologo JSS
69 Itekeng JSS
70 Gantsi SSS
71 Lehutshelo JSS
72 Lehututu JSS
73 Motaung JSS
74 Matsha College
75 Tsabong Unified School
76 Kgolagano JSS
77 Tapologo JSS
78 Molongwa JSS
79 Maiteko JSS
80 Kgosi Mpe JSS
Phase 6: 81 – 100 in part Southern region, Mahalapye and part Serowe Sub- regions
81 Seepapitso SSS
82 Mogale JSS
83 G- West JSS
84 Bokamoso JSS
85 Tlokweng JSS
86 Sesholo JSS
87 Ramokgonami JSS
88 Mosikari JSS
89 Dikgatlho JSS
90 Mookane JSS
91 Kalamare JSS
92 Mahutagane JSS
93 Shoshong JSS
94 Shoshong SSS
95 Mahalapye JSS
96 Pekenene JSS 97 Mowana JSS
98 Morale JSS
99 Radisele JSS
100 Lotsane SSS
Being the first biggest milestone, school number 100 received an equally bigger donation, to wit; 100 copies of Know What Matters and Charm Your Audience, each to the top 100 form fours and fives, respectively. All senior teachers, HODs and school management received copies as well. To top it all off, school 100 received stationery to the tune of thirty thousand pula – hundreds of; bond paper reams, A4 counter books, mathematical sets and scientific calculators.
As it celebrates this awesome milestone, the PCT National Readership Campaign team would like to extend its infinite gratitude to its partners who helped make this journey a success, namely: Game Changers Media, the team that traversed the length and breadth of Botswana in our endeavour to reach the furthest remote schools first; Bolux Group who have been sponsoring the Campaign since five years ago to date; Departments of Partnerships and Curriculum Development & Evaluation, at the Ministry of Education & Skills Development; CRACKiT Botswana; the receptive and caring school authorities who received the Campaign with very humbling appreciation, all our dear friends and fantabulous cheerleaders who have excitedly followed this Campaign for more than half a decade, and lastly, all the librarians who opened their hands to the PCT- NRC, from the following libraries and village reading rooms:
1 Maitengwe VRR
2 Tutume Public Library
3 Francistown Public Library
4 Tonota Public Library
5 Ramotswa Public Library
6 Moshupa Public Library
7 Thamaga Public Library
8 Molepolole Public Library
9 Kopong Community Library
10 Mochudi Public Library
11 Gobojango VRR
12 Bobonong Public Library
13 Selibe Phikwe Public Library
14 Mahalapye Public Library
15 Shakawe Community Library
16 Maun Public Library
17 Botswana National Library Services HQ
18 Charles Hill Community Library
19 Ghanzi Public Library
20 Hukuntsi Community Library
21 Kang Public Library
22 Tsabong Public Library
23 Jwaneng Public Library
And now to that BIG question: “What happens after 100 schools!”
“We will leave no one behind!” is Portia Chipaladza- Tobedza’s emphatic answer. “We are going beyond 100 – we are going to cover the remaining 147 public secondary schools!”
Such was her enthusiasm as she declared: “the Campaign goes on!”