B2Gold Namibia has donated N$2,5 million towards three health projects, and a total of N$20 million in corporate social responsibility initiatives for 2023.
According to the mine’s country manager, John Ross, the company’s commitment goes beyond the local scale, having contributed over N$10 million to health initiatives since 2015.
“We believe not only in digging gold, but also in leaving our communities better than we found them.
Therefore we have invested over N$10 million in health initiatives since 2015,” he says.
Ross says during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, B2Gold made a significant one-time donation of N$34 million to the Office of the Prime Minister to combat the virus’ impact in Namibia.
He says B2Gold has made donations worth more than N$7 million towards education initiatives this year.
“For this financial year, three health projects have been identified, with Side by Side Early Intervention Centre receiving N$900 000, Omnicare Trust N$700 000, and Fatherhood Foundation receiving N$843 000,” he says.
Huipie van Wyk, the managing director of Side by Side Early Intervention Centre, has expressed gratitude for B2Gold’s support, emphasising the company’s dedication to helping children with disabilities and educating the community about inclusion in education, quality healthcare and social integration.
“The Side by Side Early Intervention Centre foundation supports 120 children per week at Goreangab, and the investment from B2Gold has made a significant difference in the foundation and has enabled us to reach more children, including those with disabilities, and we have been able to design early development programmes,” Van Wyk says.
Sabine Rothauge, the programme coordinator of Omnicare Trust, says the funding the trust has received would improve healthcare delivery, reduce transportation costs and improve healthcare access for pregnant mothers in the rural areas they visit.
“Most of the areas we go to are those which are too far from the local clinics and hospitals,” she says.
She says this funding would lead to better results in family planning and infant mortality rates.
Carven Izaks, the chairperson and founder of the Fatherhood Foundation, says: “We are currently reaching 11 000 children per week, and with this donation, we are aiming to reach 50 000 children with the help of volunteers and partners like B2Gold.”
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