Being selected among hundreds of applicants and receiving the African London Nagasaki (ALN) scholarship was a great honour and privilege for me. I had always wanted to advance my skills and knowledge in the field of Infectious Diseases, but with the few educational opportunities that are available especially in Africa, it was not easy!

Since infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in Botswana, obtaining this qualification will go a long way in assisting me to provide appropriate services to my patients, be part of decision making bodies in my country and contribute globally to infectious disease control and surveillance, and be involved in quality research which is very crucial for evidence based medicine. The new research skills and research ethics, as well as laboratory techniques gained from state-of the art research facilities in Nagasaki University are a bonus in addition to the relationships, collaborations and networking that I made with the wonderful staff of NEKKEN, my supervisors, my colleagues and the friendly Japanese people. I would really like to extend my thanks the ALN team for granting me this lifetime experience and rare opportunity. I believe this Masters will be a building block to a PhD in the near future.