KHOEMACAU COPPER MINING HOSTS INAUGURAL PRIZE GIVING FOR SCHOOLS FROM COMMUNITIES AROUND THEIR MINING OPERATIONS
Khoemacau Copper Mining hosted the first of its kind prize giving ceremony for seven schools in its communities of influence around its mining operations at Komana Primary school. This inaugural prize giving was held under the theme: ‘Celebrating Academic Excellence in Partnership with Stakeholders From 2021 and Beyond’. All the price giving beneficiaries from Komana, Legotlhwana, Sehithwa, Bodibeng, Bothatogo, Kareng and Khweosee (Somelo) primary schools set for their Primary Schooling Leaving Examinations (PSLE) in 2020.
Learners were awarded in various categories with trophies ranging from branded school bags, water bottles and Khoemacau branded masks. The highlight of the day was a young lady Ms. Kaavehe Rutina, former student at Toteng Primary who was awarded an Ipad for emerging as the best performer in all the seven schools. In the school’s category Khweosee Primary School (Somelo) won a floating trophy and a siren for being the most improved institution while the best overall performing school award, a trophy, went to Komana Primary School. Officiating, Khoemacau General Manager (GM), Mr. Kevin Moxham noted that the prize giving occasions celebrates the tireless efforts of the staff, schoolers and community members who play a part in academic performance of pupils in the communities. Moxham stated that Khoemacau and its service provider partners are targeting to motivate all the seven village schools in their mining area to achieve 83 percent pass rate in the PSLE.
He affirmed: ‘’As Khoemacau we are honored to be part of this. Part of our community social responsibility and strategic objectives for our community is to invest in the critical development areas such as education which is the cornerstone of the community and our country’s development agenda.’’ Moxham revealed that Khoemacau is aware that the facilitation of academic excellence in schools cannot be exclusively achieved by price giving ceremonies but also investments in requisite equipment such as printers, WIFI, laptops and educational tours.
To this end, Moxham noted that Khoemacau have partnered with BOFINET Botswana to pledge to connect Komana Primary School to the national fibre optic network and install WIFI at the school for a year in a deal worth more than P 62,000. In the area of educational tours, the GM noted that Khoemacau is committed to open its mine to various schools in the community for educational visits. However, the prevailing covid-19 restrictions has restricted their ability to host as many students as they would have wanted.
‘’Our future engineers, miners, process plant operators would come from the community and therefore investment on education is important’’ added Moxham also calling on communities to prescribe to set covid-19 protocols. The GM observed that to groom a complete and all rounded future visionary leaders, everyone needs to play their part adding: Let us all come together to ensure the excellence of our children who are the future of this country.’’
Khoemacau Executive Director, Mr. Boikobo Paya stated that the prize giving is an add on to Khoemacau’s rigorous community social responsibility in the Mine Communities of Influence. Khoemacau is undertaking the projects in collaboration with their service providers. Some of the successes of this collaboration include provision of a printer to Bothatogo Primary school, provision of covid-19 sanitary products to schools and Kgotlas in the area and the construction of the ablution block for Ngami Junior Secondary school in Sehitwa.
Paya further stated that their community model also involves working with Village Development Committees (VDC) to start sustainable small scale community commercial projects.
As part of this model, Khoemacau has started projects that will provide 400 chicken layers for four of the seven villages around the Khoemacau Mine. The VDCs will operate these ventures and all the eggs produced will be bought by the Mine. Komana primary School, opened in 1986, was chosen to host the event in recognition of the school’s best performance in the last year PSLE amongst all the seven schools in the Khoemacau area of operation.
School headmaster, Sophie Mogalakwe explained that Komana Primary has history of performing well in PSLE.
The school’s student population is small with annual enrollment ranging from 100-115 students. Komana has 10 teaching and 5 ancillary staff members and has been seconded some Ipelegeng workers. Mogalakwe added that the low number of students is of benefit to the students’ performance as they enjoy a favorable teacher to students ratio of 1 to 20 students per class.
She noted: ‘’Last year we had 10 learners sitting for PSLE who scored a 90 percent ABC pass rate. Two students obtained As and were admitted at Tshwaragano Community Junior Secondary in Maun.’’ The Vice President Human Resources & Communications Ms. Mmama Mhlanga-Fichani commented that there is scarcity of women in the mining engineering industry, and their long-term strategy as Khoemacau is to deliberately attract women to fill core mining roles.
Therefore, they have volunteered to partner with the schools and parents to mentor the top three students who are girls. The focus will be to engage and teach the young girls around the opportunities and possibilities that are within the resource sector and to support their on-going success.
She said that she believes that the mentoring may prove beneficial in encouraging girls and women to consider the mining engineering profession. Principal Education Officer, Mr. Mosebo Molapisi said that the donation of ipads to students by Khoemacau supports the Government’s plan to roll out tablets to students from standard 5 to 7 during this year to boost their technological skills and performance in all the schools.