According to the National Development Plan, education is key to building a better South Africa. It is for this reason that education needs to take a major focus in both the private and public sector.
This is why our iron ore business, Kumba, recently invested R10.5 million in four solar-powered internet schools – with the first already up and running at Jiyana Secondary School in Tembisa.
Not only will these facilities broaden children’s horizons through the wonders of the internet, it will also allow them to access their school curriculum, with all school modules loaded on the tablets we supply.
These internet schools are designed for isolated and remote areas with limited or no access to electricity. It is these communities that generally have a hard time accessing quality education and have no online connectivity, of which both play a key role in this digital age.
Kumba has committed to donating three more of these schools in the Tsantsabane and John Taolo Gaetsewe Municipalities in the Northern Cape and Thabazimbi Local Municipality in Limpopo.
Head of Public Affairs at Kumba Iron Ore, Yvonne Mfolo says, “We recognise our role in contributing to the well-being and prosperity of the communities in which we operate. As education is one of our focus areas, we believe that our interventions at schools will have a higher impact by improving learner performance”.
Also, in partnership with Kumba’s Environmental department, Kumba is promoting a greener and pollution-free environment for the schools with the addition of a bio-digester to harvest methane gas to be used for cooking, as well as a sustainable vegetable garden to support the schools’ feeding scheme. This not only saves the school money, but also helps save the environment.