News

Students from the University of Botswana’s Department of Special and Inclusive Education have taken their commitment to community service beyond the classroom, organising a charity hike up Kgale Hill to raise funds for a Form One learner battling end-stage kidney disease.

The hike, held early on Saturday morning at Kgale Hill, was organised under Project Hope: One Journey. One Hope. A Community United to support Brian Lemogang Bankgonne, a learner at Diratsame Junior Secondary School, who requires regular dialysis treatment.

The initiative seeks to mobilise financial and in-kind contributions towards Brian’s medical care and related transport costs, easing the burden on his family as they navigate his ongoing treatment.

A lecturer in the Department of Special and Inclusive Education, Rev.Sr. Dr.Macdelyn Mosalagae, explained that the charity hike formed part of Project Hope, an initiative undertaken under the module Rehabilitation and Transition of Children and Youth with Disabilities. It also served as part of the students’ practical assessment, with students organised into groups and assessed on their contribution to planning and successfully delivering the activity.

Dr Mosalagae said the initiative provided students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge beyond the classroom while demonstrating compassion, social responsibility and the value of collective action in addressing community needs.

She emphasised that every contribution would go towards Brian’s medical care, urging members of the public to support the initiative. She noted that no contribution was too small, adding that donations and sharing information about the campaign could help bring Brian closer to receiving the care he needs.

Through Project Hope, the students are working alongside Brian’s family to raise funds required to support his treatment. The initiative reflects the University’s commitment to student-led community engagement and the application of education to practical social challenges.