02 Aug 2021

 Debswana has funded a sewing project for people living with disabilities in Letlhakane through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme at a tune of P133 000, Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines general manager Mr Bakani Motlhabani has said.

 Speaking during the ceremony to hand over the machines recently, he stated that Debswana funded five women and one man with disabilities in Letlhakane for whom they bought sewing machines, support equipment and other materials. 

These included five industrial sewing mchines, two industrial overlockers, two cutting tables, two industrial ironing boards and two domestic sewing machines. 

He said the objective was to promote empowerment of women, girls and people with disabilities to ensure that all had equal opportunity to improved livelihoods. 

“We are in the drive to support citizen empowerment initiatives whilst intentionally increasing opportunities for marginalised people to participate,” he said. 

He noted Debswana he said was in full support of the objective of social inclusion and equality in government’s vision 2036 pillar of human and social development. 

Mr Motlhabani stated that through the company’s Building Forever and CSI programme, they endeavoured to create a legacy of prosperity and resilience among communities in which they operated and had partnered with other entities to improve the lives of Batswana. 

He said one of the key strategic focus areas of Building Forever revolved around women, girls and people with disabilities. 

He noted that according to the World Bank, 15 per cent of the world’s population experienced some form of disability. 

He indicated that on average, it had been reported that as a group, people living with disabilities were more likely to experience adverse socio-economic outcomes as lower levels of employment, higher poverty rates, less education than people living without disabilities. 

Furthermore he stated that one of the flagship projects for 2021 was Tsienyane Special Education classroom block in Rakops, which Debswana block funded to the tune of P4.75 million. 

The block will have carpentry workshop, storeroom, classrooms, sickbay, offices, kitchen and computer laboratory. 

He encouraged the beneficiaries of the project to take full advantage of the resources at their disposal for the betterment of their livelihoods and diversification of the local economy. 

One of the beneficiaries Mr Tshepo Ramoku urged his partners to use the donations to their best to improve their lives. 

Central District Council chairman Mr Ketshwereng Galeragwe said Debswana had made a significant impact in changing people’s lives in Boteti. 

He noted that they were appreciative of the gesture extended to the Boteti community. Ends