16 May 2024

Stanbic Bank has embarked on a journey beyond banking and on May 15, it launched STEAM project that encourages and supports education.

In his welcome remarks, Stanbic Bank Head of Operations, Mr Thomas Mpedi, said his bank was driving Botswana’s growth by investing in those who hold the future in their hands, adding through the program they were offering endless possibilities. 

Mr Mpedi said they were fostering a passion for STEAM among leaners, which will unlock Africa’s future and they were also nurturing and giving them tools to navigate challenges ahead.

Mr Mpedi said Gabane primary schools serve as one school to ignite such talents. 

Some artifacts were handed over to the school to be used for making learning easy that would benefit not only pupils but also the community at large.

A representative from the Ministry of Basic Education, Ms Bontle Kuhlmann, said reigniting STEAM and aligning it with Vision 2036 Pillars was crucial as it would help Botswana attain sustainable growth and economic diversification.

The head of Kuunda STEAM, Ms Sershini Govender, explained the meaning of Kuunda which is ‘to create either communities or schools’ and added that the project would drive innovation for pupils especially that youth of today don’t have much information on IT or STEAM. 

Ms Govender said STEM opens up doors in so many sectors and it develops a future ready skill that students would be able to use in the long run.

During the workshop leaners were taught about the Fourth Industrial revolution which was made up of machinery, electricity, computers and cyber physical system which was being initiated to the students of Gabane Primary School. 

The learners also got to speak and interact with peeper robot from Kuunda STEAM.

Through this initiative, Stanbic Bank has donated Raspberry Pi and BBC Micro-Bit to the school; a series of the single-board computers, with the aim to educate and give easier access to computing education. 

As well as assign a technical mentors to conduct monthly check-ins regarding the progress of a project which the school will have to develop with its pupils for the next 7 months, and there would be a showcase of the project at Stanbic bank headquarters. 

The School Head for Gabane Primary School, Ms Barbra Chandapiwa, gave a word of appreciation by thanking Stanbic Bank together with Kuunda STEAM for choosing the school out of all primary schools in Botswana and that they would not disappoint but rather use this project to enhance science and mathematics subjects.

She said the project helped broaden the students thinking and gives students a chance to learn outside the classroom especially for pupils who were not intellectually gifted.

Giving a word of encouragement, Kgosi Seeletso Pule encouraged all students to work hard in science and mathematics subjects as employees in the sector of STEAM was low. 

He said the important aspect is that it shouldn’t just end here but also continue for years to come and keeping it going. ENDs