More than 370 matric learners from various schools in the Fezile Dabi district of the Free State benefited from De Beers’ Voorspoed mine’s education camp programme, which ran from October 15 to 22 at Landbou Skool, in Kroonstad.

The Voorspoed mine and the Free State Department of Education, in Kroonstad, established the camp as support for Grade 12 learners to improve their understanding of subject content and prepare them for the matric examinations.

According to De Beers, the camp facilitated teaching, work revision and practical lessons, and inspired the learners to achieve more in subjects such as physical science, mathematics, accounting and life sciences.

For one week, learners underwent a gruelling programme that ran into the night at times. The participating secondary schools, Phephetso, Bodibeng, Ngwathe, Motswela, Dr Cingo, Rehauhetswe, Kgabareng, Kwakwatsi, Rebatla Thuto, Phehellang and Yakhisizwe, are all within 100 km of Kroonstad.
Voorspoed GM Malcom Hendrickse visited the learners to offer his support. “I hope that this intervention that Voorspoed mine is supporting will go the extra mile to ensure the upliftment of every learner participating in this initiative,” he commented.

He also emphasised that De Beers had shown its commitment to education by working with the department over several years. He went on to state that the company aligned itself with the “idiomatic expression, ‘give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’”. Hendrickse concluded his visit by wishing the learners well in their exams.

Meanwhile, Free State Department of Education centre manager Maria Mabana thanked De Beers for its continuous support for education through infrastructure projects and, in particular, the current matric camp. She relayed her hope and belief that the Voorspoed mine would continue to support the centre.

Speaking after the event, Voorspoed mine corporate affairs manager Andrew Moremi expressed appreciation for the increased number of learners participating in the 2017 camp. He added that he believed that the initiative would ensure that participating learners had a better chance of doing well in their exams, as the camp enabled them to cement what they had learned at school and build on it.

“Free State province took the number one spot in the country last year in terms of the Grade 12 pass rate and it will be good if the province can do it again this year. It is through interventions like this that educators and learners are encouraged to achieve the best results,” he stated.

The role of Voorspoed mine in this initiative included providing transport for the learners, security, food and accommodation, while the Department of Education provided skilful educators to ensure the best possible learning environment.