Queen came to BBL in 2005 as a young ambitious student from one of Maun’s hardest poverty-stricken areas. Growing up, Queen lived close to the airport and used to stand for hours at the airport fence watching the planes land and take off. She still finds it quite fascinating that someone can land and fly these huge machines so nonchalantly.
After having the opportunity to visit the local airport during the Bana Ba Letsatsi School Holiday Program and getting to step inside a place for the first time, as well as tour the control tower, she was able to realize that she in fact had the power to pursue her dreams of becoming a pilot. Queen has not looked back since and has been fully focused on maintaining straight As and achieving her high academic performance to aid her in achieving her dreams. She is currently in her Junior level education and is excelling very well in her studies.
Elizabeth Queen – Aspiring Pilot
Wellington, famously known as Mawilla, joined Bana Ba Letsatsi in 2009 with a dream of becoming a professional photographer and film maker. After coming to BBL, Wellington was given the tools to be able to overcome many of the challenges faced by orphans in the community. Wellington was able to cultivate his passion for photography through the various camps offered by BBL such as The Siyaya bush filming project funded by World Bank and coordinated by Dr François from Cape Town, The National Geographic Society Photo Camp.
Since graduating from BBL Wellington has become a well-known photographer, content creator, and graphic/animation designer among his peers and nationally. He currently has his own media company called Mawilla Visuals which is quite popular on Facebook with over 90,000 followers and 60,000 likes. He has been able to monetize from his social media following but does not let that distract him from his visions, as he is also about to pursue a degree in photography and film production at Limkomkwin University, Gaborone Botswana.
Wellington “Mawilla” Mutasa- Aspiring Photographer
Anderson, famously known as “Andy” by his peers, joined Bana Ba Letsatsi in 2003. Prior to joining BBL Anderson was someone who moved from school to school, making trouble as he went before finally reaching his lowest point after being expelled from school. He felt as though everyone had lost hope in him, and even he himself did not see a way out. After joining BBL Anderson was able to transform from a delinquent boy into a responsible adult through the support of Bana Ba Letsatsi’s rehabilitation programs.
It was not an easy journey, but since joining BBL his life has been able to move forward positively. He has since graduated from Electrical and Electronics Engineering and has become a leader, politician, and author of a book titled “TRUE ANDY The Road Less Travelled”. He is a businessman and a man of many talents, who today is a well-respected member of the public. He still makes time to visit BBL during school holidays in order to empower and inspire students to brave the path of pursuing their dreams.
Anderson “Andy” Diteko
“To lose patience is to lose the battle.’’ There is practically no limit to what one wants to achieve. This is a fact that could be likened to the story of a boy named Anthony Sethobogwa who did not let his home circumstances and age interfere with his vision. Anthony, who is popularly known as ‘Cheki’ at Bana Ba Letsatsi was identified in 2016 by BBL Staff during home visits at the age of 14 and had never been to any formal school before. Since joining BBL Anthony has become one of the best-performing students academically, even surpassing those who attended and dropped out of mainstream schools.
Patience, perseverance, respect, and botho are among the virtues that describe him and his ability to lead his peers has earned him much respect among the students and BBL management. Throughout his stay at BBL Anthony has demonstrated high levels of maturity and rarely misses any school. This year, in 2023, he will be writing his Primary School Leave Examinations (PSLE) as he pursues his dream of becoming a mechanic.
Anthony “Cheki” Sethobogwa
Quite comparable to the story of Anthony is the story of 19-year-old “Rock”, as he is popularly known by his peers, which in our native language translates to ‘Letapa’. Rock is someone who is very strong physically, but ‘Rock’ also describes him in a literal sense through its relation to his emotional and mental state. He has not found himself to be academically gifted, however, he thoroughly enjoys working with his hands and enjoys assisting in taking care of the garden and trees at the Centre as a part of the curriculum requirements.
His strong and growing passion for farming opted for BBL to send him to participate in a short course on Piggery farming at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Rock will also be sitting for his Primary School Leaving Examination this year in 2023.