Sticking true to their pledge to give back to the community, Francistown-based Bokamoso Junior Basketball Academy bounced into charity mode on Tuesday, handing over sanitary pads to two local schools.
Francistown Centre for the Deaf and Selepa CJSS both benefitted from the donation, worth P2, 000 in total and carried out under the slogan, ‘Donate a pad, keep a girl child in school’.
Speaking at the handover, Tshepo Matenge, who was filling in for his wife, the Academy’s Managing Director (MD), Katlego Matenge, noted empowering the girl child was an act close to his better half’s heart.
“Mma Matenge is a new mother, and she sent me to bring you this gift. She was concerned about situations where children don’t attend school because they don’t have sanitary pads when they are on their menstrual cycle, which hinders their education and causes them to fall behind,” explained Mr Matenge, adding the campaign began in August, with donation boxes placed outside the city’s three Spars, Marang Shell filling station and Two Inn general merchant.
Thanking the B/ball outfit for their thoughtfulness, the Deaf Centre’s Deputy Headmaster, Bantsha Monageng revealed most of their pupils are boarding students and normally have no one to acquire such things for them.
“This donation will go a long way in helping our students as some of them come from faraway places as the school covers the whole northern side of the country. Often our children do not come with enough essentials when school re-opens as they come from vulnerable families.”
Expressing similar gratitude, Selepa School Head, Kemmonye Modise, said the donation was perfectly timed, as the students are currently sitting for their final exams.
“We usually bring our own sanitary pads to give to kids so they don’t miss school,” mentioned Modise.
