13 Mar 2025

The future looks bright for Ms Dineo Itumeleng, who quit her job as a secretary to focus on early childhood education.
Her mission is to empower children to express themselves through various languages and foster a lifelong love for learning.
Ms Itumeleng narrates how she had a passion for kids from a very young age, forcing her to study early childhood to focus on her calling and find fulfilment.
She added that after completing her Diploma in Early Childhood in 2013, she joined different government schools as a temporary teacher.
Her last appointment was at Masa Primary School in Gaborone.
“My contract was not renewed, which gave me enough time to think of better ways to navigate my career”, added Ms Itumeleng.
Motivated by her passion for children and a desire to give back to the community, Ms Itumeleng said from a modest start with just six children, she now serves more than 100, supported by a committed team of eight teachers and six assistants.
Initially, Ms Itumeleng faced challenges in motivating her staff and the proper use of resources.
To resolve the problem, she worked hand in hand with her employees and together, they changed their teaching style and began using the resources responsibly and teamwork is now amazing. “Now teachers do not stress about finding activities to do with the kids; they have become super confident and enthusiastically handle their lessons,” added Ms Itumeleng.
Ms Itumeleng believes that empowering children to take control of their learning could help them express their thoughts, feelings and imagination, transforming learning from a chore into a desire. “This allows the child in need to have access to the full bouquet of therapies they need without the need to leave the school property and still allows them to have the full, holistic mainstream preschool experience”, she added.
As an early childhood educator, Ms Itumeleng’s journey has been enriched by extensive research and never-ending studies as she undertakes different online courses to boost her skills.
She has pursued advanced learning opportunities, including active participation in conferences and seminars led by experts.
Ms Itumeleng added, “I stay informed about current trends and best practices through professional conferences on ongoing education.”
She noted that this knowledge was incorporated into training programmes and ensured the school approach aligned with the latest developments in early childhood education.
Ms Itumeleng said in every business success story, the biggest asset was the employees, adding that their welfare should be a priority.
Ms Itumeleng proudly shares, “because of the well-motivated employees, our learners are confident, happy, and relaxed. They have fallen into the routine with ease and thoroughly enjoy the resources and the activities that accompany them. Ms Itumeleng noted that parents had commented positively on their children’s development, which indicates that the school was performing well.
“I engage parents through regular communication channels, such as WhatsApp and encourage their involvement in school activities to create a welcoming atmosphere where they feel comfortable participating in their child’s education”, she said.
When advising young unemployed people who want to venture into various businesses, Ms Itumeleng stated that young people should learn that from every situation life throws at them. This skill has helped her grow from nothing to running three preschools.
“Believe in yourself and your abilities, listen to advice and by no means take every piece offered but listen”, she added.
She also noted that her firm belief in children as competent learners drives her commitment to providing a better teaching approach.
Ms Itumeleng further said her vision was to create more than just a school.
  She wants to make a warm, welcoming extension of home where parents, educators, and children come together in a collaborative space, laying the foundation for academic success and personal growth. ENDS