IDM TALK STUDENT WELFARE
In order to fulfill its role of nurturing students during the tricky transition from high school to university, Institute of Development Management (IDM) recently brought together stakeholders from Gaborone and Francistown campuses to deepen collaborations and discuss services offered at school.
The process was led by the Students Welfare Office, which seeks to enhance the learner’s experience and the development of well-rounded, work-ready graduates.
Highlighting the importance of such gatherings, IDM Country Director, Dr Theophilus Mooko, explained partnerships form part of their strategy to promote knowledge transfer, create opportunities and enhance the institute’s research and innovation.
“We are committed to strengthening teaching and learning to enhance superior student experience,” he declared.
Some of the services offered by IDM to students include personal and clinical support service, girls’ best space programmes such as relationships and unintended pregnancies done through the support of Humana People to People. Boys are also furnished with life skills training and peer education with the assistance of Men and Boys for Gender Equality.
For her part, IDM Students Welfare Officer, Gaone Gaosekwe, said, “We aim to enhance students’ academic performance, reduce drop-outs and increase retention. We achieve these through a number of interventions and methods applied to shape our learners for the future. As an institution that values our learners, we continually commit to create a memorable learner experience, and to provide supportive and nonjudgmental strategies along the way.”
Through its partnership with Department of Community Development, IDM supports the government’s broad policy of Affirmative Action. A number of students with special needs, orphans, vulnerable children and remote area dwellers are absorbed into the institution.
Through assistance from Humana People to People and Men and Boys for Gender Equality, a number of interventions targeting the body, mind and soul of a learner are applied. Among those include: voluntary HIV/AIDS counselling and testing, distribution of condoms and use of contraceptives with organisations such as Tebelopele Voluntary Counselling & Testing Centre, District Health Management Teams, Journey of Hope playing a key role.