Africa-Press – Botswana. Young girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) have been implored to be the authors of their own destiny
Addressing young girls from junior secondary schools in Boteti and Letlhakane Senior School during the annual workshop in Orapa recently Senior engineering manager at Orapa Letlhakane Damtshaa Mine, Ms Keene Nkoane advised them to not allow situations to dictate their destiny, saying they should instead use them to fuel their vision and aspirations.
“Don’t worry about not being popular in school, focus on what you want, which is your real lasting popularity or success in the future,” she said.
Ms Nkoane informed the girls that they would encounter challenges among them bias.
She said being the first senior engineering manager did not just give her the opportunity to dispel the myth that women could not do such kind of jobs but also demonstrated that they brought critical skills, innovations and ideas that did not exist before.
“Being a STEM girl is not just cool but it is critical. Girls are required in these fields,” she said.
One of the pupils from Orapa Junior Secondary Mimi Mpape said she had always wanted to be a biomedical engineer.
The workshop, she said, motivated her to continue working hard, adding that though there were challenges she would not let them stand on her way.
Education officer in Boteti Ms Oratile Thonkga said the workshop had given the girls an opportunity to see what the world had in store for them.
She acknowledged that most of the schools did not have the opportunity that Boteti schools had like having access to the mines. The event venue which was inside the mining area she said had given pupils an opportunity to have a feel and experience of the mine.
Ms Thonkga implored the learners to remain focused to attain what they wanted, saying hard work could secure them a future. She urged the girls to sacrifice their leisure time as it would also benefit them a great deal on their education path.
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