Bannerman Mining Resources Namibia, through its Early Learner Assistance (ELA) Program, has been donated 3600 school uniform packs to vulnerable children across Namibia for the past 13 years.
The project, done in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, involves identifying a region, and the most vulnerable children in that region are selected as beneficiaries of the project.
“This year, 300 learners have benefitted across 8 schools, bringing the total number of recipients to 3,600 learners since the program’s inception. The team drove for 7 days from the Erongo Region to the 8 sparsely located schools, personally delivering the ELA uniform packages. Each package consists of a full uniform set, including school socks, shoes, and a school bag,” said Bannerman’s Senior Stakeholder Relations Advisor, Matjiua Hengua.
She further stated that this year, due to increasing vulnerability, the Kunene region was selected to benefit from the project.
“This highlights the numerous challenges faced by learners whose parents cannot afford basic necessities. Teachers make do with very limited resources to provide a conducive learning environment. Many learners miss out on school due to a lack of basics such as sanitary care,” Hengua said.
She said the project not only aims to provide vulnerable children with uniforms but also strives to encourage other companies to contribute to community improvement in their operational areas.
“Bannerman aims to make the ELA program ‘open source,’ with the intention of motivating other mining exploration companies to adopt and enhance the initiative within their own host communities. In 2022, Namibia Rare Earths became the next company to adopt the ELA Program, rolling it out in the Khorixas area where it operates. The program has been successfully implemented again in 2023,” Hengua noted.
Bannerman Resources is the developer of the proposed Etango Uranium mine in the Erongo Region.
