We won an award, now let’s earn it
Africa-America Institute (AAI) – the premier U.S.-based international organisation connecting Africa to America through education, training and dialogue has honoured Botswana with the National Achievement Award in recognition of the country’s commitment to democracy and stability in the region as well as its focus on addressing the importance of education, health care and youth development. The Award was received by President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
While we congratulate President Masisi, his government and the nation of Botswana, we believe there is more that needs to be done for us to deserve such an award. We have accepted it, but now we call on all those responsible, starting with you Mr President to make sure that we strive for more particularly in education, health care and youth development.
We commend Dr Douglas Letsholathebe and his Ministry of Education and Skills Development for rolling out laptops to learners. We plead with you Minister and all those involved to ensure that the roll out bears fruits and that all aspects of it are taken care of for the successful implementation and digitisation of education.
We have in the past come up with good interventions, which are later abandoned. Let us earn the Award by ensuring this goes smoothly. Also, there has been a lot of outcry about our tertiary education providers as well and we need to do more to ensure these graduates are trained for what the market really needs.
Our health care system is in shambles lately and Batswana will agree that we are far off from earning an award in this regard. To ensure we earn this award, there is a need for the Health Minister, Dr Edwin Dikoloti and all stakeholders to do more to ensure improvements. Batswana still queue for long hours and leave without medication. People still spend days at Princes Marina Hospital without being attended. These problems seem not to be getting any better and we urge government to pull up its socks.
Our youth are roaming the streets, young people are killed in cash-in-transit heists, and they are roaming the streets unemployed. While the Youth Development Fund has been welcomed, it is not enough and needs to be developed. Just like any businessperson, the young people should be empowered without limitations on how much they can get for their projects.
President Masisi long promised to ease doing business, but things are getting worse. Young people and other businesspersons are hampered by many bottlenecks in the system that need to be attended in order to scream the empowerment.