Solwezi District Administrative Officer (DAO) Anthony Fulwe has commended Kansanshi Mine for providing material support to various schools in the district.
Mr. Fulwe said Kansanshi has been supplementing government efforts to improve education in the area by donating books, food and constructing classroom blocks in schools.
He said this when Kansanshi Mine officially handed over a one by five classroom block to Mbonge basic school in Solwezi today.
Mr. Fulwe said the mining firm’s gesture to construct a classroom block at Mbonge basic school is not politically motivated but out of good will.
He has since encouraged the company to continue helping schools in other areas.
He further called on members of Mbonge community to take care of the class rooms and ensure that they are not vandalised.
And Mbonge basic school head teacher David Malipande said the community in Mbonge area is growing fast, a situation that has resulted in the rise in the number of children enrolled every year.
Mr. Malipande said this had led to congestion in classrooms noting that the news infrastructure has however helped decongesting classrooms.
Meanwhile, Kansanshi Mine Corporate Social Responsibility Manager Bruce Lewis said the company constructed the classrooms so that local pupils can get education and be employed at the mine.
Mr. Lewis said there was need for pupils at the school to learn conveniently and maximise the knowledge they will get from school.
And a pupil at the same school, Adonai Kasola thanked Kansanshi mine for helping provide a conducive environment for learners.
“Our cry for more learning space was heard by Kansanshi, which is being witnessed today by the handing over of the classroom block to us today,” she said.
She commended the mining company for offering material support such as the introduction of the feeding programme by KANEQUIP, which has seen a lot of children getting back to school and a reduction in absenteeism.
She meanwhile urged Kansanshi to consider building another classroom block to accommodate more pupils in Mbonge community.
