Cuban ambassador, Ms Patricia Guerra has encouraged the Ngamiland district leadership to explore new areas or opportunities that Botswana and Cuba can collaborate in.
As part of such collaboration, Ms Guerra suggested to the leadership to identify an existing kindergarten or a primary school in Maun that can be named after Cuban national hero, Jose Marti, who was a patriot and martyr, a poet and essayist and a journalist who spent his short life fighting for Cuban independence from Spain.
That, she said, was because constructing a new facility would take time.
“Building a new structure will be time consuming so you can identify a facility to name it after the hero as a way of paying tribute to him,” she said.
On the other hand, she said such would also give the Cuban embassy the opportunity to visit the place regularly, make presentations on Cuban issues, donate books and other school material as well as organise academic exchange programmes.
Again, she said once identified, Cuban doctors and nurses working in Maun would also organise itinerant or mobile clinics to the venue to check pupils’ health condition.
Further, she said she was adamant that such would also open a window for more opportunities in academic, scientific and tourism exchange.
Ms Guerra explained that Marti’s dedication to Cuban freedom made his name synonymous to liberty throughout the world.
Further, she indicated that schools, kindergartens, libraries, squares, statues, murals were found the world over as a way of paying homage to Marti.
Marti, also called the Apostle of the Cuban Revolution, she said, was born in 1853 in Havana and died in May 1895 during the fight for independence.
At an early age, she added, he showed talent for writing and revolutionary politics and through his life and writings, he served as an inspiration for revolutionaries.
Ms Guerra also revealed that their historic leader, Fidel Castro, used to mention him as an important influence on his own ideals.
Marti was also honoured in a Memorial Statue in the Plaza de la Revolution in Havana as well as the International Airport that bears his name.
Ngamiland district leadership also learnt that in each Cuban school, there was a sculpture of him.
They were also informed that the famous patriotic song ‘Guantanamera’ was adapted from his poetry collection ‘Versos Sencillos’ and gained greater popularity in 1963 when it was recorded by the American folk singer Pete Seeger.
Nevertheless, the leadership received the proposal and requested time to look into it and engage all relevant authorities to interrogate it before they could make final decision.
The deputy council chairperson, Mr Latlhang Molonda said it was a good idea “but the proposal has to pass through all council processes and we assured to give feedback as soon as possible.”