This was revealed by Orapa, Letlhakane, Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) general manager, Mogakolodi Maoketsa, recently during the donation handover of eight classrooms worth over P1.3 million at Rakops Junior Secondary School (JSS). The donation was made possible by project management office (PMO) employees and their business partners. When delivering his remarks, Maoketsa highlighted that Makgaba Primary School is currently under construction through Lucara Botswana. Last year, Lucara Botswana mine donated four classrooms for lower primary school level valued at P2.4 million to Makgaba.
Additionally, the project, which is expected to be completed in March 2025, will save students their travel time. Students travelled 12 km from Makgaba to the closest primary school at Mokubilo. Speaking earlier about the delivery of eight portar cabins, the general manager of OLDM indicated that the project demonstrates their efforts as Debswana towards improving education results in the OLDM area of influence. According to Maoketsa, the project is being carried out in response to a request for portar cabins and furniture made by Rakops JSS to Debswana in an attempt to address a shortage of both classrooms and furniture. “Due to this shortage of classrooms and furniture, the school was forced to deploy double shifting meaning that the time children spent at school was drastically reduced. Some lessons were actually conducted under trees,” he added. Additionally, he said the project is valued at more than P1.3 million and consists of the classrooms infrastructure which was donated by Debswana.
On the other hand, they donated furniture donated through their Show You Care initiative by the PMO department employees and some of our business partners. He indicated that OLDM contributed more than P1.2 million for the classrooms' construction, relocation and renovation. Additionally Maoketsa stated that the sum of P68,000 raised by OLDM PMO staff was spent on buying 80 student tables, white boards and pinboards. The GM also shared that their business partners, RMB Solutions, contributed about P27,000 towards the procurement of 45 student tables. Pinagare Engineers came up with over P10,000 for the purchasing of white boards and pinboards and TKM contributed transportation of tables from Gaborone to Rakops. Lereka also contributed over P38, 000 towards paving and final touches, he added. Maoketsa said each department at OLDM has been allocated a village in Boteti not only to build stronger linkages and partnerships with their respective community but to make a positive developmental contribution as they seek to build resilient and thriving communities.
He highlighted that Rakops has been receiving assistance from the PMO Department, and that numerous initiatives have been delivered to this end. He stated that in 2022, PMO and its business partners; Dream Choice, Lightreal Investments, Gear Mining, Feddar Supplies, Tlou Drilling, JumCorp, and Diamond Spectrum built a garden in Rakops that included seedlings, garden tools, fertiliser, net shading, and an irrigation system. The project was valued at P278 000. Additionally, according to the OLDM general manager, PMO has donated P331,000 worth of educational equipment to Rakops JSS in 2023 in collaboration with One Track, Dream Choice, First Edition, Etuba Engineering, and Tlou Drilling. He stated that the donation contained 900 chairs, 300 student tables, and five Design and Technology benches with chairs, tools, and school uniforms for eight kids. He concluded that the donations are a clear testament of the commitment by OLDM, its staff, and its business partners' dedication to enhancing the lives and educational opportunities of their children in Boteti.
