Village benefits from donation to school

A whole new world of possibility has opened up for learners at Mabotha Secondary School in the small rural village of Ga-Kibi near Alldays last Thursday when Barloworld Equipment donated a computer laboratory to the school.
The computer laboratory, housed in a container on the school’s premises, for the first time gives learners at Mabotha Secondary School the ability to learn computer skills and access the internet to enrich their studies. Barloworld Equipment has also sponsored a year’s worth of WiFi with unlimited broadband access to enable the learners to use the internet as a learning tool.
The donation came about as part of Barloworld Equipment’s relationship with its mining customer De Beers Venetia Mine in Musina. De Beers approached the earthmoving equipment company to partner with them on some local community development projects.
Barloworld Equipment South Africa Chief Executive Officer Emmy Leeka says the donation forms part of Barloworld Equipment’s commitment to shared value creation. “We understand the importance of technology, equipping learners with computer literacy skills and the ability to engage with and learn about new technologies. The computer laboratory will not only assist learners in boosting their skills levels, but internet access will significantly enhance their ability to learn about the world.”
Solomon Mabitsela, principal of Mabotha Secondary School, says there has been great excitement among the learners, educators and the Ga-Kibi community since the arrival of the computer laboratory.
“We are so thankful to Barloworld Equipment for this extremely generous donation. It is going to have a huge impact on our learners’ lives. Our school operates on a shoestring budget with very few facilities to aid in the development of our learners. These computers are going to significantly improve their lives,” he said.
Mabitsela adds that members of the Ga-Kibi community will also benefit from the computer laboratory. “We are going to be training staff of the tribal authority, as well as members of the local community to use computers.”