Majwe Mining Joint Venture showed the lighter side of the corporate world as it hosted the Academic Excellence Awards for schools in Jwaneng, the country’s diamond rich area.
The company, a venture comprising Australian-based Leighton Contractors, Basil Read of South Africa and Bothakga Burrow Botswana, is contracted by Debswana Diamond Company to provide mining services for the Jwaneng Mine’s Cut 8 Phase 2 Project.
Officially opening the Awards ceremony held under the theme: ‘Collaborative Support for Students Academic Excellence’ over the weekend, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mokgweetsi Masisi, praised Majwe Mining for undertaking to sponsor all students prizes during Prize Giving Ceremonies over three years to the tune of P1 million.
“This activity is a practical implementation of Ministry of Education and Skills and Development’s initiative of Adopt a School for which companies are requested to choose a school, a brigade or a college that they will adopt and identify areas of collaboration,” noted the minister.
Each year the mining company will hold a Combined Majwe Academic Excellence Awards Prize Giving Ceremony.
“The ultimate one is taking place in 2015, the year at which the Millennium Development Goals should have been met and the year short of realising the National Goal of an educated, informed nation,” Masisi further noted.
With a number of seven schools in the Jwaneng, township including the neighbouring Maokaneng village, Majwe has pledged to adopt and sponsor all the primary and junior secondary schools.
The “Adopt-A-School” initiative attempts to mobilise the community involvement with schools and add quality to school’s core business.
The move is expected to make a difference in the students’ academic achievement.
“We at Majwe Mining are thrilled to have seen our Corporate Social Investment project, The Majwe Academic Excellence Awards, being conceptualised, nurtured and eventually realised,” revealed Majwe Mining Project Director Ian McRae.
“It is important that the most exceptional students be publicly acknowledged and recognised for they serve as role models and living symbols that hard work pays. So we celebrate today to further motivate the students who through their extra efforts have achieved brilliant results over the past months,” he added for his part.
Majwe mining has played significant roles in the past, including donating a three-room Porta Cabin to the Ministry of Health which was handed over to Mabule clinic amongst others.
Mabule village is in the vicinity of Jwaneng township – Majwe mining contributing to the community it conducts business. The facility will be used by HIV/AIDS related patients including the issuance of provisions of ARV programmes.
Other beneficiaries include Lotlaamoreng Junior Secondary School which was pledged a Double Steel Office Unit to be used a staffroom and Kwelagobe Orphanage Centre which was handed over new shoes and socks to all school going children who reside at the Centre.
