About Maru-a-Pula

The name Maru-a-Pula means
"clouds of rain" or "promises of blessings" in Setswana. 
Rarely are schools so aptly named.

Maru-a-Pula: Launching Africa's Leaders

Gaborone, Botswana

2010

Maru-a-Pula is a world-class school rooted in Botswana. Founded in 1972 to serve as a model of non-racial education in southern Africa, Maru-a-Pula is a coed, independent day & boarding secondary school which has gained a reputation as one of Africa's premier academic institutions.

Noted for its progressive and holistic approach to education, Maru-a-Pula offers rigorous academic preparation for the Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations (Forms 1-6 or U.S. Grades 7-12) preparing students for entry to highly selective universities world-wide. Maru-a-Pula's 50-acre campus is located in the heart of Botswana's capital city, Gaborone.

A Tradition of Service

Maru-a-Pula has a rich tradition of caring for the community, featuring a weekly community service programme required of all students at all levels. Students connect the classroom to the real world - whether they are teaching in a village primary school, feeding destitute families in the township of Old Naledi, working with orphans at the SOS Children's Village in Tlokweng or visiting children at Princess Marina Hospital - often learning more powerful lessons than those provided in classroom settings.

In addition, as part of its small effort to serve Botswana's needs, Maru-a-Pula is currently offering full scholarships to 28 orphans and vulnerable children. We aim to offer 60 such scholarships by 2014. 

Academic Results

Our consistently outstanding results position us as one of Africa's top schools. Maru-a-Pula's 2009 Cambridge IGCSE results were the best in the school's history. Highlights include:

• MORE THAN HALF (56.5%) of our IGCSE exams earned A*s or As
• 29 students earned 8 A*s & As at IGCSE
• 50 students (out of 103 candidates) earned 6 or more A*s & As at IGCSE
• Of the 907 IGCSE exams written in 2008, 513 achieved an A*or A

Our Students

Based on our 2010 enrolment of 674 students:

• 61% (409) are Batswana (citizens of Botswana)
• 39% (265) are expatriates from 35 different nationalities
•   
• 83% (560) are day students
• 17% (114) are boarders
•  
• 53% (358) are girls
• 47% (316) are boys
•  
• Forms 1-5 (IGCSE): 548 students
• Lower 6th (AS-Level): 94 students
• Upper 6th (A2-Level): 32 students
•  
• Over a third of our Batswana students receive financial assistance
• 28 are orphans or vulnerable children
• 35 countries are represented in our student body.  Top ten nations represented:
  1. Batswana: 409
• 2. Indian: 55
• 3. South African: 40
• 4. Zimbabwean: 19
• 5. British: 18
• 6. Sri Lankan: 17
• 7. Chinese: 15
• 8. American: 13
• 9. Kenyan: 9
• 10. German: 6 

Our Teachers

• Experienced professionals from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and North America
• 58 academic staff, 28 holding advanced degrees
• A tradition of relaxed and informal student/teacher relationships
• Teachers commit themselves and their students to academic excellence

 The Arts

• Home of Maitisong, the premier centre for the performing arts in Botswana, attracting thousands to our campus every year
• Site of the highly acclaimed Maitisong Cultural Festival, the nation's largest arts festival
• World-class programmes in the visual and performing arts- drama, music and fine art
• Our marimba band has recorded CDs and toured the USA, Canada and Brazil

Sports

• Facilities include all-weather basketball, tennis, netball and volleyball courts, a 25-metre swimming pool, cricket nets and football, rugby and softball pitches
• National champion teams in basketball (Senior Boys for 16 years running) and cricket
• Several national record holders in swimming, including one Olympic swimmer
• Physical education programmes designed both to extend and to challenge the top team player, as well as to engage the willing enthusiast

Student Exchanges & Post-Graduate Opportunities

• A notable and growing provision of fully-funded, year-long overseas scholarships for exemplary Form 5 students at prestigious overseas independent schools: Taft (CT), Hotchkiss (CT), Deerfield (MA), The Hill School (PA), Catlin Gabel (OR), Hawken (OH),  Emma Willard (NY), Menlo (CA), Riverdale (NY), Roxbury Latin (MA) and University School (OH)
• Short-term exchanges with Brooks School (MA),  Horace Mann (NY), Downe House in the UK and Ecole Alsacienne in France.

Notable Alumni in Botswana

Maru-a-Pula prides itself on nurturing regional and world leaders. Many of our alumni attend top universities overseas - most return to invest in the development of the country and the African continent. Here is a sampling of such alumni:

Alice Mogwe
Founder and Executive Director of DITSHWANELO, The Botswana Centre for Human Rights. Member of the the MaP School Council.

Kitso Mokaila
Botswana Government Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

Batsho & Oliver Groth
Batsho is Chairperson of Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited Board. Member of the School Council. Oliver is the Managing Director of Botswanacraft Marketing which develops cultural craft artists in Botswana and markets their products such as baskets, pottery, beadwork.

Bukamu Hulela
Coordinator for Undergraduate Student Programmes, Botswana Harvard HIV & AIDS Research & Reference Laboratory

Donald Gaetsaloe
CEO of African Alliance, a leading financial services firm in Botswana, with a strong social responsibility consciousness that extends to the SOS Children's Village and investment in Science and Mathematics development countrywide, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Joshua Machao
Community Mobilisation Coordinator for the Ministry of Health's Anti-Retroviral (ARV) programme.

Dr. Themba Moeti
Managing Director of the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) and former Deputy Permanent Secretary for Support Services in the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Ndwapi Ndwapi
Director of Clinical Services, Ministry of Health
 
Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba
Deputy Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat