Debswana gives back to community

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Tuesday August 10, 2010 00:00

 

The OLM general manager, Mmetla Masire said last Saturday at the end of the 20km walk at the Orapa Stadium that Debswana has over the years been at the front in social development through its corporate social investment programme. 

The GM's sponsored walk supports Debswana's corporate social responsibility aspiration of 'creating a legacy of prosperity, sustainability and empowering the communities and the lives of people in Botswana'.

The General Manager's Sponsored Walk was started as an initiative through which Orapa and Letlhakane Mines give back to the Boteti community.

Statistics indicate that there are 1,611-orphaned children in Boteti, 1,496 permanent destitute, 99 temporary destitute and 33 community home-based care clients.

'These people all depend on government for support. These alarming statistics, which are only a fraction of the national figures, are heart wrenching.  They are an indication of just how far off we as a community are from the national aspirations of Vision 2016,' said Masire.

He said in 2008, part of the funds raised through the GM's walk were disbursed to the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development in the Boteti Sub-District to assist a psycho-social project that takes care of orphaned and vulnerable children in Letlhakane. 'These children come from under-privileged backgrounds and some have lost their parents to various causes including HIV/AIDS. The children face various challenges such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse by care-givers, poor academic performance and abandonment, which all need to be dealt with through therapy and counselling,' he said.

He added that the psycho-social programme involves retreat camps for the children at different times throughout the year and the greatest challenges facing the running of these camps is inadequate funds for furniture and equipment and care-giver workshops.

Through the funds donated to the cause by OLM, the department has been able to run camps over the years, but more assistance is still needed. The success of the General Manager's Sponsored Walk is measured by how much is raised each year.

'Over the years, we have had tremendous support from our employees, business partners and the Orapa community in general.  The P500,000 has been raised through contributions made by these generous individuals and organisations,' Masire said to a round of applause from the sponsors and Debswana employees.

He thanked stakeholders for their support. 'Having said that, it is important that I should remind you that there is still much more that needs to be done, as indicated by the statistics I gave you earlier on.

I count on you to continue to support this noble cause in order that we may achieve our objective of uplifting those less-fortunate than ourselves in the community,' Masire said.

The sponsors included: Avis, Air Botswana, BP, Barclays Bank Orapa, Barloworld Equipment, Barloworld Motor, Bokamoso Engineering, Botswana Mine Workers Union, Choppies Letlhakane, Duck 'n Scrum Social Club, DumaFM, First National Bank Letlhakane, H & J Wholesalers, Komatsu, Mascom, Maotwana Motors, Mmegi/ Monitor newspapers, Ngwao le Boipelo Social Club, Naledi Motors Francistown, Orapa Jazz Club, Orapa Spar, Orapa Round Table, Tati Nickel Mining Company, Tsele le Tsele Printers and Wave Sanitation.