13 Nov 2024

Assemblies of God church women’s ministry has been commended for extending a helping hand by gifting Dinonyane Primary School special education unit with gifts that would help equip students with skills to becoming independent in future. 

Acting Director in the former Ministry of Education and Skills Development, South Region, Ms Barulaganye Moseki applauded the church for the kindness saying the gesture indicated their purpose of being a blessing to mankind.

Speaking during the annual Assemblies of God women’s conference recently in Jwaneng, Ms Moseki said it had become a norm for the church’s women ministry, under their motto, We Minister as unto Christ, to leave a mark in every community they had their conference in. 

 Ms Moseki noted that last year, the women extended a helping hand to the women and new-borns at Selibe Phikwe government hospital maternity ward. 

Dinonyane school’s gifts comprised of a poultry house loaded with 50 three-weeks-old Porch Khoekhoe live chicks, a 5 000 capacity egg incubator, feeds and other essentials needed by the chicks.  The women’s ministry also donated a wheel chair to one of the learners. 

When receiving the donations on behalf of Dinonyane Primary School special education unit, Ms Moseki expressed delight and appreciation further indicating that the noble gesture would play a role in the process of imparting skill to the learners. 

“The government alone will not be able to carry the load of touching each and every life in the country. Your contribution through this gift goes a long way in making Botswana a prosperous nation. May God bless you for this indelible selfless gesture,” she said. 

She said the core objective of the unit was to help learners with intellectual disability, a neuro-development condition affecting intellectual processes, educational attainment and acquiring of skills needed for independent living and social functioning. 

According to Ms Moseki, Dinonyane Primary School special education unit was officially opened in January 2004 with only nine learners, but now has 20, out of which 14 were boys and six girls. 

The unit operated all levels of special education, from Level 1 (stimulation) up to Level 4 (pre-vocational).   

The special unit, she said, also modified behaviour and developed the skills such as reading, speaking, writing, life skills, fine and gross motor skills, and physio therapy exercises. 

“This gift is so fitting and could have not come at a better time than now because in pursuit of achieving objectives under the unit, the school runs different projects being gardening, textiles, horticulture, food and nutrition, and poultry,” she noted. 

The gift, she said, would equip learners with skills to become independent after 18 years age, school to community life transition age, where successful learners were then eligible to obtain youth development funds through a special dispensation in some government departments. 

Earlier on president of Assemblies of God Women’s Ministry-Botswana, Ms Tsholofelo Radimo said they were dedicated to leave a mark that would bring change in every community. 

Ms Radimo noted that they spent about P150 000 in the Dinonyane Primary School project. ENDS