Service

Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer, into a selflessness which links us with all humanity. 
-- Nancy Witcher Astor, First woman to sit in the British House of Commons, 1879-1964

Services are co-curricular activities that involve the act of giving something back to the community, either within or outside the school. Internal Services focus on the needs of the school, while external services look towards the greater Gaborone and Botswana communities. The communities served by these services find them exceedingly valuable and the school encourages students to devote time to these benevolent activities. 

External Services

External Services

Amnesty

BSPCA
The Botswana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been operating for several years and recently opened an animal shelter in Broadhurst. This site has become the focus of the Maru-a-Pula BSPCA service. Students participate by walking dogs and playing with cats and the other animals in the shelter. There is also an element of fundraising and some students make toys for the animals to play with.

Camphill

Camphill School, located in Otse about fifty kilometres south of Gaborone, provides special schooling to both physically and mentally handicapped children ranging in age from about 7 to 15.

The Camphill service group visits the children on five Saturday mornings each term allowing both the Camphill children and the Maru-a-Pula students the opportunity to play together and learn from their older and younger ‘brothers and sisters’. Activities include ball games, crafts, taking walks and swimming. Participants are encouraged to spread out among the children and get to know as many of them as possible. This gives a more personal touch to the service.

Cheshire Homes
Every Wednesday afternoon a busload of MaP students head for Mogoditshane to visit the Cheshire Homes. Cheshire Homes offers a rehabilitation programme for physically disabled and mentally challenged children. MaP students find their interaction with these children extremely rewarding and the staff at the Cheshire Foundation have a small break from their responsibilities while MaP students entertain the children.

Childline Botswana
Childline Botswana plays an important role in society as a response to child abuse. It provides emergency services for children in danger or distress. Students participating in this activity with the House Mothers to help the disadvantaged children housed in a Place of Safety at Childline. Tasks include: helping the children with homework; reading to them and telling them stories; and talking, playing, feeding and washing them. Students also help with tidying and organizing the Childline resource centre and gathering newspaper articles to learn more about child welfare and abuse. 

Gabane Feeding
Every Wednesday a combi full of MaP students travels to Gabane Village to go and give food to the elderly who do not have siblings or family to look after them. This is a two hour afternoon activity.

Gabane Teaching
Every Wednesday a busload of MaP students travel to the Pule Primary School in Gabane. Our students work in teams of two or three and teach Standard 5, 6 and 7 classes of fifteen to twenty children. Our students benefit from the teaching experience and the primary school children always have a good time and hopefully learn a bit, too.

Gasiko Teaching

Hospital Visiting

I Am
This service gets its name from the “I Am” School in Tlokweng where children with special needs get the assistance and encouragement that they need. A small group of MaP students visit Tlokweng once a week to teach, play and interact with the delightful children there.

Interact
The fun fund-raising service! A branch of the Rotary Club, Interact enables us to raise money for those in need. Though very time consuming, this service is fun and very rewarding.

Lifeline
This is an intensive, two-term programme run off-campus by Lifeline trainers. Lifeline is divided into two parts: personal development and counseling skills training. Successful completion of the course qualifies students to act as peer counselors. As this is a two-term programme, Lifeline will only be offered every second term.

Lekgolobotlo Orphan Clothing Drive

Naledi Feeding

Naledi Teaching
MaP students in the Naledi Teaching Service give lessons at Tlhabologo Primary School in English and mathematics, as MaP feels that they can provide the most assistance in these two subjects. MaP students give and mark assignments, class work, exercises and tests. They teach Standard 7 pupils who are usually about thirteen years old; given this age, it is better if the MaP volunteers are a little older.

SOS Children's Village
The SOS Children’s Village operates a pre-school for children in Tlokweng and the neighboring community. MaP sends six to twelve students on alternating Monday afternoons to engage these children in educational activities. On off-Mondays we prepare the activities based on themes supplied by the SOS staff.

Stepping Stones

Tlamelo Project
This service takes place at lunchtime on Tuesdays. MaP students provide cooked food to children, some of whom are AIDS orphans, and help wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen. This project was initiated by the Open Baptist Church and the food is kindly donated by Senn Foods and various supermarkets around Gaborone. MaP students are usually back at school by 2.10pm. 

UNICEF
This service was started at the request of UNICEF and focuses on “educating the girl child” and the ‘Girl Education Movement’ objectives. MaP students visit Ithuteng Government Primary School in Naledi and organize discussions with children in Standards 6 and 7 about issues which affect them socially. 

Internal Services

Art Room Service
Art Room Service provides a service to both the Art Department and the Drama Department. Students provide technical assistance in the Art Department (anything from making furniture to cleaning) and provide a work force for set building for Drama productions. The usual commitment is for one session per week but this may increase during Drama productions.

Biology Lab
Biology Lab carries out the weekly cleaning and maintenance of the three biology laboratories. 

Book Covering
Library books and departmental textbooks are best kept neat and in good condition by covering them. This service helps conserve the appearance and lengthen the lives of MaP books. The books are covered with a self adhesive foil to shield them from light.

Chemistry Lab
This service maintains the three chemistry laboratories. This involves ensuring laboratory equipment is stored correctly and that chemicals are stored safely. The service also maintains the cleanliness of the three labs.

Computer Tutoring
Computer tutors provide technical support for students with assignments and project work. The tutors have sufficient IT skills to help with various applications of software such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, database, etc. The Computer Tutoring Service is therefore open to Form 3 and above.

HIV / AIDS Awareness Committee

Interact

Library
Students are trained to help in the day to day running of the library. This includes shelving books, book repair and book covering, processing new books (e.g. stamping, putting on spine labels and bar codes), managing the circulation desk to issue and receive books and entering books into the library computer system. 6th Form boarders who sign up for this service are trained to manage the library and supervise the weekend opening of the library. 

Lifeline

Maths Tutors
Maths Clinic is open to any student who may need help with prep or revision. Maths Tutors help the Maths Clinic to run smoothly and are usually Form 6 students and, in exceptional cases, Form 5 Add Maths students. Maths Tutors are available for students of all levels. The teacher on duty will be fully involved as back-up, especially to tutor 6th Form students. Tutors find that helping their fellow students is a rewarding experience and gives them confidence in appreciating underlying mathematical principles. Tutors are also encouraged to do an additional service as well.

Maths Mentors
Maru-a-Pula students work as maths and English tutors with orphans in Gabs West and at the same time become mentors for these children for any joys or problems they may have. By talking and listening to the children, the Maru-a-Pula students can help them to pass their JC exams. There are also elderly people living at the centre. The Maru-a-Pula students are able to offer companionship and conversation in Setswana to this elderly population.

Mentoring Programme

MaP Drama Festival

Orchestra
The Orchestra meets once a week for one and a half hours. Anyone who has a reasonable level of competency may join and all instruments are welcome. The Orchestra plays various styles of music. The main aims of Orchestra are to encourage students to play together, to encourage happy music-making, to provide the opportunity for the beginners to learn from the more advanced students and to give at least one public performance per term. 

Physics Lab
Students in this activity are responsible for: dusting benches and side desks; making sure equipment is correctly stored; removing tippex from desks; cleaning sinks; fixing simple pieces of equipment; filing; making posters and improvements to the laboratory.

Recycling

Student Advisory Council (SAC)
Each class elects a Student Advisory Council (SAC) representative who attends meetings on Monday afternoons at 2.15pm. They bring issues, ideas and suggestions for functions and ways of improving the school from their classmates and these are discussed with Mr. Taylor, Ms. Koobokile, Mr. Pelowetse and Ms. Turnbull.

Yearbook Photography
Form 4 and 5 students often working in pairs spend an hour each week taking photographs of the various activities both on and off-campus and scenes from MaP daily life.  They organize their photographs on the computer and the best ones are chosen for inclusion into the yearbook.