AUSC REGION 5 DONATES BALLS TO A SCHOOL IN BOTSWANA

The African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 donated twenty (20) Nassau balls to Ramotswa Junior Secondary School in Botswana. The balls had been acquired by Region 5 through the assistance of TAFISA. The ball donation to Ramotswa Junior Secondary School is part of a deliberate programme by the AUSC Region 5 to reach out to communities in remote and rural areas and create awareness of the importance of sport and physical activity. The AUSC Region 5 and TAFISA enjoy a cordial relationship and cooperation as part of the existing partnership between the two bodies in the drive towards promoting Sport for All in all the Region 5 ten Member Countries.
 
Ramotswa Junior Secondary School has an enrolment of 465 students including 33 students with disabilities (hard of hearing). The students with disabilities come from different locations of Botswana to attend classes at the Special Education unit and residing in the school hostels.
 
The school, like similar institutions, experiences challenges of limited resources required to fulfil its mandate of giving the lessons in physical education and sport for learners with disability. The curriculum requires practical assessment, making it difficult to fulfil this requirement with limited resources.
 
Teachers and learners boarding at the school engage in extramural activities in order to keep themselves occupied and active. They therefore play sport and games to occupy themselves while at the same time inculcating positive behaviours and strong character. Sports activities play a major role in developing the students mentally and physically.
 
The head of the school who was accompanied by the chairperson of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) expressed gratitude over the donation. The regarded the donation as timely and noted that they would greatly enhance learning experience especially for the students with disabilities. The balls were also going to be used by the teachers’ sports teams that were introduced to build employee engagement and motivation. The school management greatly supports its employees' emotional and physical wellbeing.
 
The CEO of the AUSC Region 5, Mr Stanley Mutoya noted that it was the objective of the AUSC Region 5 and its partners like TAFISA to touch the lives of ordinary young people especially those that live in the rural areas. Usually the rural areas are overlooked when organisations plan to donate resources or pay a visit. AUSC Region 5 has plans to adopt the school and ensure that its students benefit from other Region 5 programmes and activities.