Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana Ash mine in Sowa Town has donated six photocopying machines valued at P1.2 million to five schools in Nata/Gweta and one in Francistown.
The recipient schools include Makongwa Primary School in Nata, Dukwi Junior School, Mosetse Primary School, Tachibona Primary School in Dukwi, Moremogolo Primary School in Francistown, and Kutamogoree Primary School, the 2023 champions of the Primary School Leaving Examination results in the Tutume region.
Speaking during the handover event at Kutamogoree, Mr Kangangwane Phatshwane, the Managing Director of Botash, said mining businesses in the country benefited all Batswana, regardless of their geographical location.
He further explained that the profits made from these businesses are meant for every Motswana to enjoy.
Mr Phatshwane highlighted the mine’s commitment to community assistance through their Working Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) programme, which has been operational since 2020. He expressed the intention to support schools in improving their performance and equipping students with necessary skills for future employment, thereby indirectly benefiting communities and the nation as a whole.
Furthermore, Mr Phatshwane disclosed that over the span of four years since the inception of the TSM programme, the mine has invested P57 million in various community projects.
Through these efforts, the mine aims to facilitate the establishment of sustainable projects that can continue to support communities even after the mine’s closure.
For his part, Mr Sabelo Matikiti, Botash’s Human Capital Manager, highlighted that through the TSM programme, the company was seeking to collaborate with communities on initiatives such as land management, conservation, and other endeavours.
He explained that they were working closely with community leaders to develop projects that can enhance the quality of life for people in these areas.
Expressing gratitude for the donation, Mr Shadrack Moffat, Chief Education Officer for the Tutume region, emphasised that the addition of the photocopying machines would address a significant challenge faced by schools in the district.
He stressed that the presence of such machines was crucial for proper test and examination preparations, and the absence of these resources had previously impacted teaching and learning. Mr Moffat conveyed optimism that the donation would contribute to improving the region’s academic results, which had shown a decline in recent years.
In addition to the machines, the schools also received 180 boxes of photocopying papers from Nashua, valued at P60 500, to be shared among the schools. An addi-tional P378 000 has been set aside for the maintenance of the machines.
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