Botswana is finally transitioning from summer to winter (i.e. slightly cooler temps), which is really refreshing. I actually wore a sweatshirt for the first time yesterday. I'm transitioning too, from the initial weeks and months of my Fulbright DAT program that felt more academic and theoretical, to the final weeks and months which are feeling a whole lot more practical. The idea that Botswana primary, secondary and tertiary education focuses too much on the theoretical and too little on the practical is a recurring theme hammered home in nearly every formal and informal conversation I've had. Many learners emerge from their schooling lacking the technical and soft skills needed for workplace success. This week I met with three impressive young Batswana: Lillian of Career Coaching, Omphile of All Brilliant Minds and Timothy of Young Africa Botswana. What these young people and their organizations are doing (on absolutely shoestring budgets), is attempting to fill gaps that they have identified in the educational system and in government youth employment schemes. Career Coaching provides personal professional development consulting, All Brilliant Minds (ALBRIMO) motivates and tutors secondary students and Young Africa Botswana offers TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) that embeds entrepreneurship and life skills. A speech given by EU Ambassador to Botswana and SADC Jan Sadek at the launch for Young Africa Botswana's "Make TVET Cool Again" campaign details the connections between Botswana's demographics and the need for high quality TVET to address the skills mismatch that is one contributor to Botswana's high youth unemployment rate. Public schools are now on break until the new term starts on April 24, so the turnout was light at this Friday's Banabakgwale Association after school SDGs seminar for kids at the Gaborone Public Library. The kids practiced reading out loud using an online story book called Frieda written by the United Nations Information Centre in Namibia. Banabakgwale is planning several events for Global Youth Service Day April 12-14 that I hope to assist with. We will pick up our project with Nare Sereto Junior Secondary School in Gabane after the break.
On Saturday I joined English Language Fellow Susan for the Crocodile Pools River Safari just outside of Gabs on the Notwane River. Beautiful, peaceful, and lots of birds, monkeys and three crocodiles spotted!
3 Comments
4/9/2019 07:06:19 pm
Thanks for posting Sara. I always enjoy reading your comments.
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Andrea Schueler
4/11/2019 09:42:44 pm
It appears we are transitioning to winter too. We just had snow day #7 due to a crazy winter storm on April 11. I love reading about your adventures and learning!
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Gretchen Damon
5/5/2019 10:08:34 am
Sounds like a safari with lots of things to see.
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About MeA 9th grade AP Human Geography and Global Studies teacher at Stillwater Area High School in Stillwater, Minnesota, USA, living and learning in Gaborone, Botswana from January to June 2019 as a Fulbright Teacher. Archives
June 2019
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