Stakeholders Unite to Strengthen Maranyane Bokamoso Programme
As the third cohort of the Maranyane Bokamoso Innovation Camp unfolded in Jwaneng from April 11th to 15th, 2025, a vital part of the week was the series of stakeholder engagement sessions that brought together school leadership, partners, and facilitators to reflect, strategize, and strengthen the future of the programme.
The Maranyane Bokamoso Programme is a youth empowerment initiative focused on inspiring young girls and students living with disabilities to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), with a particular emphasis on the mining and diamond industries. The programme includes academic support, mentorship, innovation camps, industry exposure, and soft skills development. It is implemented in partnership with Debswana Jwaneng Mine and targets senior secondary school students across multiple regions in Botswana.
The stakeholder engagements, held across five partner schools Matsha Community College, Good Hope, Lobatse, Moshupa Senior, and Seepapitso Senior offered an invaluable platform for honest conversations about the programme’s impact, operational realities, and opportunities for growth. These in-person meetings allowed school heads and administrators to share firsthand feedback on the experience of their students, the support needed on the ground, and the value the programme continues to bring to their institutions.
School management consistently affirmed that the Maranyane Bokamoso Programme has had a meaningful impact on student performance, confidence, and career awareness particularly in STEM-related fields. They described the initiative as a game-changer for many learners, offering exposure and learning opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom. The presence of structured mentorship, academic support, and industry immersion was highlighted as key to the programme’s success.
However, stakeholders also stressed the importance of scaling the programme to benefit more students. The call to “leave no child behind” echoed across all engagements, with school leaders advocating for increased access and resources to reach a broader segment of learners especially those in under-resourced settings. Suggestions were made around enhancing school-level infrastructure and ensuring sustained support in areas such as connectivity and learning materials.
The purpose of the stakeholder engagement was not only to collect feedback but to co-create a path forward. By opening up space for dialogue, the programme reaffirmed its commitment to working hand-in-hand with educational institutions to ensure that future cohorts are even more impactful and inclusive.
These engagements underscored the importance of collaboration between schools, industry, and programme implementers. They served as a reminder that while students may be the face of transformation, it takes a strong, united network behind the scenes to keep that transformation alive.
In continuing this partnership-driven approach, the Maranyane Bokamoso Programme stands not just as an initiative but as a movement dedicated to shaping Botswana’s future, one girl at a time.