Africa Foundation has been active in Botswana since 2014, working alongside the andBeyond Botswana team to support rural communities close to the world-famous tourist hotspot of the Okavango Delta. Africa Foundation help the community establish a primary school in 2017, a double classroom block, kitchen and ablutions where built. In 2020 a second block of double classrooms was built to allow for a further 2 grades. The school currently has an enrolment of 83 pupils across 4 grades and 4 teachers. Extremely rural areas, such as this find it hard to attract and retain qualified teaching staff.
There is no decent accommodation available for rent or a reliable transport infrastructure for teachers to use to commute from more developed areas, the teaching staff currently rent in the villages close to the school. It is the responsibility of the school therefore, to provide accommodation for their staff. Africa Foundation proposes to construct 4, two-bedroom houses to provide the teaching staff with the dignified living quarters that they deserve. Africa Foundation is also fundraising to construct a reception block containing two classrooms – to be used by pre-school and Grade 1, along with children’s ablutions, a small office and a sick-bay which is a pre-requisite for pre-school facilities.
Prior to 2021, the children living in Sexaxa comunity walked 5km to access primary school education in Matlapana. The long walk, through bush and on a stretch of dangerous road, which children usually embarked on before dawn and without breakfast, left them arriving at school hungry, dirty and tired. Currently the school has 115 pupils, 11 staff and 5 ablutions.
The difficulties associated with accessing schooling meant that often the youngest children did not start at the correct age, and the older ones performed poorly, attended sporadically and had a high drop out rate. Africa Foundation worked with the community of Sexaxa and the District Government to establish a primary school within the area, which opened with just two classrooms, 5 ablutions and a kitchen, in 2021.
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