16 Jan 2017

Debswana Mining Company has donated a minibus to Pudulogong Centre in Mochudi.
Officially handing over a 25-seater bus last week, Debswana managing director, Mr Baledzi Bonyongo said the company was expressing the spirit of compassion to the less fortunate.

He said the bus would help the school to increase its mobility to carryout their outreach programmes across the country.

Mr Bonyongo said Pudulogong  Centre was one of the first centres in the country established by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1982 to assist the visually impaired, as such, Debswana was only happy to offer its support to the noble project.

Mr Bonyongo said Debswana was proud to be part of the Pudulogong Centre as it was inspired by one of their ‘Show you care’ slogan, which embodies the spirit of compassion and love.

“We are proud to have made this contribution because we deeply care for communities and will continue to assist them,” he said.

He said it was great for Batswana to have a President who encourages dignity as it enables the country to prosper. Mr Bonyongo said President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama encouraged people to be compassionate and by far the spirit had helped a lot of Batswana get their dignity restored and had better lives.

He said President Khama was on a mission to help the fatherless and widows, adding that God approves the works of those who undertakes his will for the benefit of others.

He said Debswana was blessed to had helped Pudulogong Centre as blessed is the hand that gives.He encouraged the centre to take care of the bus so it could be able to sustain them for a long period of time.

For her part, the Minister of Basic Education, Dr Unity Dow said it was a great pleasure for them to receive the donation, which would go a long way in helping the centre.
She applauded the good work started by the Dutch Reformed Church for such centres as Pudulogong, thereby helping government to carry out its mandate of educating every child.

“We acknowledge the good deeds that have been undertaken by the church by coming on board to provide services of this nature,” she said.

Dr Dow also appreciated the efforts by Debswana in assisting the ministry in its goal of educating all children.

Pudulogong Centre director, Mr Moilwa Pheko said the centre admits 60 students aged 16 to 35 years with a minimum requirement of a junior certificate.

Mr Pheko said the centre had different programmes, which included horticulture and poultry, business studies, music, computer skills and secretarial studies on a full time school calendar accredited by Botswana Qualifications Authority.

He said the centre gets funding assistance from government, but they had to source additional funds.

Mr Pheko said he was glad that 30 percent of the students from the centre had attained formal jobs with others going for further training with higher institutions of learning, while 10 percent  of them were self-employed.

He said they had introduced a tracer network system, which helped them trace their students to know where they were and what they were doing. Mr Pheko said they had challenges of expensive equipment, which were only sourced from outside the country.

Nevertheless, he said he was happy that the centre managed to secure a borehole, whichwould reduce their water bill, more so that they offer agricultural courses, which used a lot of water.
“The bill once went up to P100 000,” he said. BOPA