28 Mar 2023

The 2022 Lucara Cycling Challenge proceeds amounting to P1.7 million will go towards assisting schools in Boteti District, Lucara Botswana general manager, Johane Mchive, has said.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting in Letlhakane recently to appreciate the challenge sponsors, Mchive said the proceeds would be used to develop school libraries as well as secure information technology and communication resources.

He said Boteti District’s 25 primary schools, eight junior schools and one secondary school would share P1.7 million to purchase books, ICT gadgets, provision of internet connectivity, book repairing kits and basic ICT training.

For his part, Okkerd Cornelissen, who is the managing director of AfriHub,  main sponsor of the cycling challenge, said they saw sports as an ideal platform to bring together stakeholders who were also suppliers in the mine and members of the community.

He they were proud of the partnership and saw it as a way of promoting sport development in the region.

He commended Lucara Botswana’s great impact they continued to leave in the community.

“You saw it fit to use sport to raise funds for the less privileged as part of the Lucara Botswana corporate social responsibility,” he said.

He stated that in the 2022 GM’s cycling challenge, Afrihub sponsored prize money with P100 000.

Cornelissen said the cycling event was a noble initiative and committed to participate in the 2023 challenge.

Lucara Botswana mining manager, Kavis Kario, said the challenge gave them an opportunity to socialise with their corporate partners, saying they wanted to have a solid sustainable license to operate.

“This is a partnership for life, we are humbly pleading with you to support it, sponsor it to grow and be part of a good initiative,” he said.

Member of Parliament for Boteti East, Sethomo Lelatisitswe, said government alone could not meet all the needs of the community, hence the private sector being a critical partner to deliver developmental projects.

He said it was crucial that the challenge did not only make an impact through proceeds raised, but it also played instrumental role in boosting health and wellness amongst members of the community. ENDS