Year 3 and I still like meeting my @OUStudents and @CiscoNetAcad Botswana friends ...

I have been visiting Botswana for three years in a row ... for the uninitiated it is a peaceful nation full of very pleasant souls in southern Africa - north of the nation of South Africa. We seldom hear of them in the western world as they do not have the newsworthy challenges often associated with their two major neighbours.

When we started the scholarship project - we had many, now nearing the research project module we have exactly the same number we started the module with.*

Ploughing through our MSc at the Open University they have completed modules that match the Cisco CCNP in Route, Switch and Tshoot as well as the CCNA-Security.

Already some have embarked on the research module, with a larger wave starting in September and some joining us in early February next year.

Every time I meet each and everyone of them, I am always impressed at their sense of fun, yet sincere commitment. They want this MSc, they want the Cisco element. Already some have acquired Cisco certifications and are involved in their relatively new Cisco Academy.

If you ever travel to this hemisphere and chance an opportunity to pop into Botswana - please take the time to look up these souls, they are going places.



The FrancisTown Contingent
Kennedy, Joe and I


The Gaborone contingent
Constructing the new campus
in FrancisTown




















*One soul gained the scholarship but never engaged, so sadly we do not count them as part of our success.



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