The Jiyana Secondary School project also includes a bio-digester which produces gas to be used for cooking by the school, a waste recycling station, a revamp of existing buildings and tennis court sized vegetable garden to help provide food for the pupils and staff. The vegetable garden will ensure continued supply of organic waste into the bio-digester, giving the school a sustainable energy source.
We are planning to support three more solar-powered internet schools in the Tsantsabane and John Taolo Gaetsewe Municipalities in the Northern Cape and Thabazimbi Local Municipality in Limpopo.
These solar powered internet schools are designed for isolated and remote areas with limited or no access to electricity. As a result, many of these communities have very limited access to education and the Internet. We believe that this project can positively transform the lives of these young people, connecting them with the modern world.
Speaking on the initiative, Kumba’s head of public affairs, Yvonne Mfolo, explained Kumba’s commitment to improving the quality of life for local communities: “We recognise the enormous responsibility to contribute 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 clean energy initiatives at schools will have a higher impact, by improving the students' performance.”
We believe that we should, and can be a developmental partner with the communities in which we operate. This involves taking full account of the needs, priorities and aspirations of the people in the communities, ensuring that we fully understand and take onboard their suggestions and feedback. It is working in partnership that we are able to deliver projects such as these, making a real difference to the people living near our operations.
Find out more about our approach to communities and sustainability.
