Setsembiso Sebunye High School
Mbabane, Swaziland
“Promise of Unity”
King of Swaziland Honors
Setsembiso Sebunye
Setsembiso Sebunye High School has been honored by the King of Swaziland as one of the best educational institutions in the country, as stated in a recent Swaziland newspaper article. Not only was the distinction earned by the presence of these unique computer labs, but academically, the curriculum is outstanding, leading to the Oxford exams. Together these and other features have earned the praise currently offered.
“Promise of Unity” is Building Hope
Nestled in the lush and fertile lands of southern Africa, and known as the Switzerland of Africa for the stunning beauty of its rolling hills, 
Swaziland is a small country faced with the challenge of combating HIV-AIDS estimated to have infected 35% of its million people, and of providing its children with a modern and technically skill-based education.
There is an urgent requirement for useful occupational training and for supporting adult life-long learning. Setsembiso Sebunye High is the last phase in the development of a K-12 institution whose successful pre-primary and primary schools have been in operation for more than ten years.
The Setsembiso Sebunye High School is affiliated with the Cambridge Examination System, and its courses provide the core of the academic program. The school strives for a high standard of academic excellence, and environment conducive to spiritual develpment and moral and character training to benefit staff and students, fosters the development of competencies which assist young women and men to span the chasm between academia and effective life skills, promotes community service and service learning, and links the school and community in an educational partnership.
The school, located on the outskirts of the city of Mbabane, has been named “The Setsembiso Sebunye High School.” In Siswati, the language of Swaziland, it means “the promise of unity”. Swaziland is largely Christian in faith, although there are a number of other religious minorities present. The cornerstone principles of “unity in diversity” reflected in its name, the school believes, fosters a diverse community of learners which promotes tolerance and collaboration, enabling the students to become self-motivated change agents serving the best interests of the whole community.
In 2005 the elementary school ranked third in the nation on the Cambridge examination test, and is recognized as one of the best in the country. There are a total of approximately 450 students in grades one through seven. The primary school is in a period of expansion, planning to grow to a total enrollment of nearly 600 by the year 2006. Education is NOT free in Swaziland, and parents are obliged to pay tuition towards the education of their children. The annual fee at this school is about 1/3 of other comparable schools, and averages about $335.00 per year for elementary and $830.00 for high school.
Setsembiso Sebunye High School prides itself in its service learning as a mandatory component of its rigorous academic program. The school believes that service connects the student to the community, provides the means for students to realize the very important concept of their common membership in the human family, and guides then to engage in an academic and vocational program relevant to the needs of Swaziland's transition into the next century.
The school is raising leaders. It is committed to an environment supportive of the development of moral capabilities, at its heart the moral development of the individual emphasizes ethical choices as the foundation for actions that foster individual and collective material and spiritual well-being. This process requires respect for all cultures, races, religions, ages, and both genders. The human development program provides students with opportunities to wrestle with moral dilemmas and to develop their social and life skills as change agents in service to their families and communities.
A school exists within a community and an individual exists within a family. As such, Setsembiso Sebunye has defined its curriculum to include the community as an extension of the classroom. The school believes the more obvious the needs of the community and the finite nature of its resources are, the more dynamic the interaction and exchange of ideas between the students and the community, the richer the entire community will be. Setsembiso facilitates life-long learning for adults in the community by making available its facilities for special classes.
Through its HIV/AIDS program, the school is addressing the needs of the 35% affected by this problem. The youth employ native forms of performing arts to provide accurate facts about HIV/AIDS and promote healthy choices. Their drumming and songs empower their peers to feel and know they can effect the course of the epidemic, create hope that alternatives exist, raise awareness of the equality of women and men, and identify a number of “sister” schools to maximize the number of youth significantly involved in the project.
The school prides itself as having established the first complete elementary and high school computer labs in Swaziland through the support of Mona Foundation and its supporting corporations. The first 57-computer lab was set up in the high school in 2000. The elementary school received its 35-computer lab in 2002. The high school lab has been recently upgraded with 100 newer computers in 2005. These technology labs are unique in the country, have generated a great deal of enthusiasm in the students, staff, and parents, and are of particular interest to the Ministry of Education as a learning experience.
How You Can Help
Please contact us or send your tax-deductible contributions to:
Mona Foundation
218 Main Street, Suite 404
Kirkland, WA 98033
(425) 743-4550
Email: monafoundation@monafoundation.org
Online: Contribute Online with your Credit Card Here
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