Lucara Botswana gifts New Era College Valedictorians, P20,000.00

As part of the 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that Lucara Botswana Subscribes to and uses as a guide towards impactful partnerships, Lucara Botswana awarded all 4 New Era College Valedictorians P 20, 000.00 each to celebrate their academi

The quartet received their paychecks at the New Era College of Arts, Science and Technology on Tuesday (November 15, 2022). This is the learning institution’s first graduation ceremony since the outbreak of Covid-19 late 2019. Lucara Botswana has been a great stakeholder to the learning institution in a relationship spanning a few years.

The top achieving quartet are Ms. Shyleen Mpoloka who graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Telecommunications from the Class of 2019 with a CGPA of 3.62. From the Class of 2020 is Mr. Thato Kennedy Mapone who is graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics with a CGPA of 3.62.

While with a CGPA of 3.73 is Mr. Mulasu Mukamba from the Class of 2021 who graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics. Lastly from Class of 2022 is Ms. Obert Mogakolodi who graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics with a 3.72 CGPA.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Lucara Botswana, managing director, Naseem Lahri lauded the quartet for showing resilience during their study period.

She said one of Lucara Botswana’s qualities is resilience and the four valedictorians should be lauded for showing the same qualities. Lahri said the diamond mining company prides itself with making partnerships in the society that impacts the lives of locals and the partnership with New Era College is amongst those.

“We thank the government for being an amazing supporter of tertiary education including primary and secondary as well. But we as private sector need to contribute to that too, and that’s were Lucara Botswana comes in. At Lucara Botswana, we contribute to, stand for and celebrate quality education and that is why we jumped at the opportunity to award the top achieving students in this year’s New Era College graduation”,

Managing Director of Lucara said.

“One thing I can tell you about Lucara Botswana is we are game changers. We are known for producing the largest diamond in Botswana and one of the largest in the world. Why? Because we are innovators and we think outside the box.

This is why I am here, I am looking for those innovators and obviously you have some of those qualities because you are resilient. To the telecommunications graduates, electronic engineers and the top achievers and all graduates, you are the diamonds that have been polished and I can see you shining, so allow the world and Botswana to see you shine,” Lahri said.

Representing the valedictorians, Mukamba said, “I would like to thank Lucara Botswana for motivating us as graduates to push hard so we can focus on our studies and work hard.

Had we known about this sponsorship, we could have done much more better job at achieving greater results. As engineering graduates we sometimes get exploited in the engineering sector, we would appreciate if such partnerships would address these issues. Like the minister said, please do not exploit us, we have worked hard for these qualifications”.

Lucara Botswana is no stranger to SDG 4 (Quality Education) In September, Lucara Botswana handed over a brand-new buss valued at P 630 000.00 (six hundred and 30 thousand Pula) to a community called Boro in Maun where students have to walk 18 KM to and from school in unchartered territories that are home to elephants and other predators.

Students were unable to thrive in their studies due to exhaustion and some ultimately dropped out of school and this caused a spike in poverty, teenage pregnancy and crime. We believe that through this contribution we will see a rise in academic excellence in the area.

To all New Era College graduates, on behalf of the Lucara Botswana family, congratulations on achieving this great milestone, keep soaring and do not let the fire for greatness that is within you die down... greater is

ahead!