A Grade 6 learner from Rebone Lesedi Primary School in Koster, North West, Reabetswe Modikwe has made her school and community proud after taking the first position in the Setswana Home Language, during the provincial Spelling Bee competition.
The competition was held in celebration of Literacy Month to promote reading among learners and refine their vocabulary in different languages.
In honour of her commendable milestone, YOUFM’s DJ Ankletap interviewed the rising star on Your Morning’s with MalomeTap where she expressed her excitement and described it as a dream come true, citing that she was adamant about winning from the beginning of the year.
“Ke ikutlwa ke itumetse thata ka gonne ke bone maemo a ntlha mo mopeletong.
Fa ngwaga one o simolola, ke ne ke batla go ipona ke le mofenyi wa mopeleto,’’ expressed Modikwe on how proud she is to have won the competition.
Speaking to Newsnote, her Setswana teacher, Boipelo Lesejane also beamed with pride and believes this places the school and the language on a high pedestal.
Lesejane said during preparations for the competition, the learner showed passion and her love for the home language.
She also reiterated the significance of promoting and preserving the Setswana language and appealed to other Batswana to be proud and grow the language further.
The North West Department of Education also congratulated Modikwe, and emphasised its intention to boost learner’s literacy performance in the foundation phase.
Modikwe went back to her community to a warm welcome that is displayed in a video on social media, where she is seen parading in a hooting car with fellow learners and some teachers walking behind and from the sides, chanting “Halala” while others were ululating in celebration.
Her achievement coincides with the Heritage Month commemoration which aims to promote diverse languages and the cultures of different communities.
