To prove its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR), Debswana’s Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines(OLDM) last week donated a house worth P290 000 to underprivileged triplets, Refilwe, Dimpho and Neo(Mothoyomaswe) of Mokoboxane village.
The two boys and a girl who are currently under the care of SOS in Francistown, lost their mother tragically after they were born in 2003.
Giving a brief overview of the project, one of its coordinators, Baba Moloi said that in 2007, Anna Maswikiti, a resident and employee of Debswana who is based in Orapa approached Tawana Pre-School staff in Orapa where she informed them about the state in which the triplets were in. She informed Tawana Pre-School Staff of her family’s intention to take care of the triplets. Positively, Tawana Pre-School parents, the Debswana employees and the community at large decided to work together to build a shelter for the children.
“Jointly they took it upon themselves to adopt the five Debswana values which are Be passionate, Build Trust, Pull together, Shape the future and Show We Care to help these triplets,” she said.
Moloi said that Tawana Pre School staff together with the Debswana management and the Orapa community started soliciting for funds to build the shelter for these children. She said that OLDM also used part of its General Manager Charity walk funds towards the project. She said that the project took a speedy progress in 2010 during the arrival of OLDM General Manager, Dr Adrian Gale and his wife Sue Gale.
“The General Manager, Dr Adrian Gale and his wife also became part of the project. I want to point out that Mrs Gale sacrificed her time and resources to run around, contacting different individuals as well as contractors to assist with money and in kind. With positive response, we all saw this working towards a great success that led to us to where we are today,” she said.
Giving a keynote address, Botswana Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer, Charles Siwawa hailed Debswana and all those who contributed towards the project becoming a success for their charity gesture.
This falls in line with President Ian Khama’s Housing Appeal. Last year, his Excellency was in Boteti to accept on behalf of the community, eight housing units built for the poor and homeless from OLDM. This time around employees and partners of OLDM have again shown their commitment in contributing to vision 2016. I must say poverty and lack of infrastructure is a serious challenge in Botswana,” Siwawa said.
He explained that poverty strips individuals of their dignity which is a basic human right. Siwawa futher said that preserving human dignity is one of the goals espoused in Vision 2016.
“I am reliably informed that Debswana OLDM strives to meet the values of “Show we care,” and “Build trust”. These values are clearly alive within the employees of Debswana OLDM as evidenced today. The living of these values has and will result in positive information to the lives of the people of Botswana as it is our obligation as responsible people and companies operating these mines for Batswana, to continuously ensure that we plough back into the communities in which we live and leave a lasting legacy,” Siwawa said.
Other organisations that contributed towards the project include among others, Barclays Bank, Buy n Build, Midas Motors Letlhakane and Spar Orapa.
