By Thupeyo Muleya
River Ranch Diamond mine has donated furniture worth thousands of dollars to Longobwe primary school in Beitbridge east following numerous appeals from the community and the local MP Kembo Mohadi that the school was in dire need of help.
The school which is located 70 km east of the border town has an enrolment of 168 pupils from grades 1 to 5 and is also a satellite of Chabili which is 15 km south wets of it.
The furniture comprised of 166 chairs and 166 tables.
The mine has also adopted the school which serves children from about 10 villages who were either going to classes at Chabili 15 km south of Chituripasi 12 km north.
The school was constructed by the villagers with the assistance of the Beitbridge Rural district council and opened its doors in January 2009.
The consignment was handed over to Cde Mohadi yesterday by the Mine manager Mr. Dennis Mutombeni.
In receiving the donation, the minister commended River Ranch for their social responsibility programme.
He said the government had made it a priority that who ever invests in any community should take up a social responsibility programme in order for the community to effectively benefit from natural resources around them.
“We are grateful for the offer from River Ranch Diamond mine, we promise to put to good use this furniture. However we are still exploring other ways we can employ to assist the school wherever necessary.
“We are also glad that the villagers here are willing to cooperate with anyone wishing to offer assistance. I call upon other investors and businessmen to join hands in assisting the school with other basic needs.
“I understand the villagers want to construct two more classrooms blocks and several houses for teachers. If we manage to come up with state of the art schools that are also child friendly we will be able to motivate our children to go to school. These children will be leaders of the future generation” said Cde Mohadi.
The minister added that he was in the midst of mobilizing resources including sourcing for cement and roofing material to assist the school.
River Ranch Mine Manager Mr. . Mutombeni said the donation and adoption of the school was part of their social responsibility programme.
Longobwe is the second school to be adopted by the mine after they adopted Makhavhule primary in Beitbridge west.
“Several schools in the district have enjoyed a good working relationship with River Ranch mine i.e. Makhakavhule, Vhembe High and Beitbridge Primary.
“We believe that these students are leaders for tomorrow and hence we are committed to invest in their future. We need them to have better facilities in education thus improving the community and the country.
“As river ranch we have a number of community economic empowering projects underway in makhakavule and Swereki and we are also looking at expanding that to other areas.
“We also want to extend our gratitude to the minister who is also the local legislature for helping the mine identify communities in his constituency that need attention and help and want to acknowledge the good working relations we have with the traditional leaders in the district” said Mr. Mutombeni.
14 January 2011
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