Stanbic Bank Partners With Dare To Dream And Airbus Foundation

23 April 2021

GABORONE - Continuing in its mission to deliver true impact and change the narrative of youth employability and entrepreneurship in Botswana, Stanbic Bank Botswana, through the Accelerate Incubator, will team up in a landmark tripartite arrangement with Dare to Dream and Airbus Foundation. The partnership, yet another testament to the power of collaboration towards meaningful progress, works to deliver the Little Engineer Discovery Space Online Program.

. The Little Engineer Discovery Space Online Program seeks to engage up to 1,000 children in Botswana, educating youth between ages 10 and 16 years old on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This will launch in May 2021 and will be delivered through a series of interactive online 3D modeling workshops, moon challenge and space programmes.

. Said Larona Makgoeng, Head of the Stanbic Bank Botswana Accelerate Incubator, “This tripartite collaboration speaks to our continued and consistent efforts to collaborate and co-create towards progress intervention by Accelerate on behalf of those that this has been created to assist. We are all wholly aligned in our collective sustained drive to ensure the success of this project and to effect sustainable change for the youth of Botswana. Indeed, we are building brighter STEM futures for these youth with greater potential for successful employability through nurturing and inspiring career decisions within economies of the future. It also aligns to Botswana’s National Vision of developing futuristic skills that can help transform the economy. We are grateful to work with Dare to Dream and Airbus Foundation to truly change lives through this venture.”

. Stanbic Bank will procure 40 tablets for this tripartite partnership, a critical need for the rollout of the Little Engineer Discovery Space Online Program and further look at other avenues of making this more sustainable going forward, particularly in terms of the impact reach of this programme. This marks the first step towards truly investing in tangibly creating a platform for the realization of the dreams of young Batswana in the engineering and STEM space.

. Stanbic Bank will procure 40 tablets for this tripartite partnership, a critical need for the rollout of the Little Engineer Discovery Space Online Program and further look at other avenues of making this more sustainable going forward, particularly in terms of the impact reach of this programme. This marks the first step towards truly investing in tangibly creating a platform for the realization of the dreams of young Batswana in the engineering and STEM space. This serves as both an inspiration source and an enabler for true progress in championing growth for and with Batswana, in line with Stanbic Bank Botswana’s own Purpose.

Said Kgomotso Phatsima, Founder of Dare to Dream, “We are so excited to bring this incredible programme to our youth. The target for 2021 is to reach 1,000 students to understand and embrace technology from a young age and ignite a passion that could grow into an exciting STEM career. This will open up a world of possibilities for future careers in the technology and STEM space for Botswana’s youth, truly advancing into knowledge-based and skills-based futures that stand to benefit our Nation’s economy and further position Botswana as a centre for STEM excellence in years to come.”

. Dare to Dream is a local social enterprise entity focused on developing future skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for students across Botswana. The organisation was founded by Captain Kgomotso Phatsima, one of the first female Military Pilots in Botswana Defence Force and a woman who continues to provide firsts and inspiration to Batswana and indeed the world. Airbus is an international reference in the aerospace sector. They design, manufacture and deliver industry-leading commercial aircraft, helicopters, military transports, satellites and launch vehicles, as well as providing data services, navigation, secure communications, urban mobility and other solutions for customers on a global scale. The Little Engineer Discovery Space Online Program is just one of Airbus’ flagship community development initiatives through the Airbus Foundation.

. Through the Accelerate Incubator, Stanbic Bank Botswana continues to deliver hallmark projects and investments working to change the lives of entrepreneurs, youth and start-ups in and across Botswana through nuanced support, exposure and investment. The investment in delivering the Little Engineer Discovery Space Online Program will be annual to ensure its sustenance into the future to as well as to ensure that the possible impact in the lives of the youth who will be involved, remains priceless and is unlocked for the human development capital of the country.

ENDS .

Stanbic Bank Partners With Dare To Dream And Airbus Foundation

Ngaka Sephuma

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