First Capital pledges P50,000 to ‘Ithute Go Tshameka’
First Capital Bank Botswana has pledged P50,000 towards the Ithute Go Tshameka ‘Learn To Play’ (LTP) Bontleng playgroup for the 2022 third term. The pledged donation is set to cover all essential learning resources for the term as well as meals for the 72 children currently enrolled in the playgroup.
The pledge follows the donation of 20 play mats to LTP’s various playgroups around the country commemorating the Day of the African Child that was on June 16. Giving her remark, the First Capital Bank chief executive officer (CEO), Reinette van der Merwe indicated that through their engagements with LTP they noticed the gap and need to support early childhood development, as less than seven percent of children under the age of five in Botswana have access to early learning opportunities.
“As believers in the power of growth and a child’s right to quality grassroots education, our pledge today speaks to one of the critical success factors in our new group strategy, ‘Growth Is Our Business’, in which we intend to continue to support and make impactful contributions to the growth of our communities in which we serve,” she said.
Accepting the donation, the LTP founder, Priyanka Handa Ram explained that Learn To Play is grateful that First Capital Bank recognised the urgency of investing in holistic early childhood development to break cycles of poverty, crime, and illiteracy.
“First Capital Bank displays great service and commitment to the children and families of their immediate community here in Bontleng, White City, and Newsstands by ensuring continued access to playful learning and nutritious snacks for every child daily for the rest of the year,” she said.
Van der Merwe also said that as part of their 2022 CSR drive, First Capital Bank colleagues have actively been involved in a number of initiatives across the country including partnerships and engagements with Tshimologo Primary School in Francistown, Ithuteng Primary School in Gaborone, as well as Takatokwane Primary School and Mahupu Unified Secondary School in Takatokwane. LTP was founded in 2017 with the vision to ensure equitable access to high-quality early childhood development by harnessing the power of play to facilitate, stimulate, and inspire learning while uplifting women’s economic opportunities. Since its inception, it has established playgroups in five communities around the country focusing on children under the age of five.
The social impact business ensures sustainable cycles of impact by not only relying on donations but leveraging paid early learning from REWA Little Einsteins, a play-based preschool based in Gaborone to fund free early learning in various playgroups around the country.