‘A child who did not sleep or eat properly cannot learn properly. Looking at the basic needs of our kids, a good night’s sleep and a decent meal can help improve the overall education experience and enhance learning.’ This statement represents the main motivation for the initiative by two uranium mining companies, Bannerman Mining Resources Namibia and Orano Mining Namibia, both based in the Erongo Region, to support a school hostel in the Gaingu Conservancy.
Bannerman and Orano joined forces to assist the children of Katora Primary School in Spitzkoppe with mattresses and cutlery for the hostel. The hostel accommodates a total of 235 children who needed mattresses to sleep on and basic cutlery as eating with hands robbed the learners of their dignity. The donation, valued at N$50 000 combined, was handed to the school on Friday, 5 September. The idea for the donation was born from an initiative by several cyclists at the coast who cycle with fat bikes from Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe each year.
This event is called the Fat Rock and includes a stop at Orano’s Trekkopje site for refreshments at the halfway point. The Fat Rock was started by Werner Ewald of Bannerman Mining Resources Namibia alongside Berni Volkmann– a close friend to many in the cycling and mining industry. Berni recently passed away and this year’s event was also a memorial ride in his memory. Bannerman and Orano decided to include a community outreach as part of the Fat Rock and approached the school in Spitzkoppe for this purpose. In 2024, a donation of household items was made to vulnerable households in the Spitzkoppe village. At this year’s handover, the Principal of Katora Primary School, Mr. Elvin Majiedt, thanked the two companies for their contribution to help improve the learning outcomes of the children.