By KAUSA MBASELA
Grizzly Mining Ltd has donated assorted sports items worth K500,000 to Grizzly Community Primary School in Lufwanyama District on the Copperbelt.
The school has 520 pupils, 300 of whom are girls and 220 boys. Of those, 90 are early graders, 50 of whom are girls while 40 are boys. The school has 18 teachers and seven double stream classrooms.
Speaking at the event on Thursday September 22, 2022, Company Head Human Resources and Corporate Affairs Manager Davy Phiri said the Grizzly Mining recognized the important role sports plays in enhancing the welfare of communities.
“Today we are handing over assorted sports items to our community school. They are valued at ZMW500,000. This is in recognition of the role that sports plays in the development of a child and can be used as effective tool to further develop not only communities but the country at large,” he said.
The donation would help keep the pupils busy both in class and on the field of play, away from vices like drugs and alcohol, teenage pregnancies and early marriages. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes were a critical part of the company’s objectives.
“I would like to mention that we are constructing the Lumpuma Secondary School that will be handed over in the next few months’ time. We hope the school will not only benefit the people of Lumpuma chiefdom but help prepare a future human resource base for our great nation,” he said.
Phiri extolled President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration for the recruitment of more than 30,000 teachers which would ensure qualitative learning among children as a result of increased presence of trained teaching staff.
And receiving the donation on behalf of Grizzly Mine Community School, Deputy Head teacher Reuben Mubika thanked the company for the gesture as it would encourage children to participate in sporting activities while staying away from illegal small-scale mining and other vices.
Mubika recaleld since inception of the school in 2002, Grizzly Mining has been an all-weather partner that helped with many financial and material support programmes including the first-ever graduation ceremony last year.
And speaking on behalf of the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), Education Standards Officer (ESO) Special Education Patricia Mwaba thanked Grizzly Mine for its continued support to the education sector.
She noted that the company’s help extended to other schools including Lumpuma Primary School where it has constructed a four-classroom block.
Chief Lumpuma’s representative, Lucas Nsofwa said the traditional leadership was pleased that Grizzly Mining was not in the area only to make profits, but improve the lives of the people in the area.
Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Chairperson Joseph Kabwe was elated that Grizzly Mining saw it fit to make a hefty donation to help children improve their sports skills.
In his vote of thanks, pupil George Mwape praised Grizzly Mining for placing a high priority on the plight of the children.
“On behalf of my school, I would like to express gratitude to Grizzly Mining for the various sports items they have donated to us. This (donation) will improve sports activities in our school, district as well as the nation. Your gesture will not only help our school but the Government through promotion of co-curriculum activities in schools. Your company is the only one in the area that is rendering such support to schools like ours. It is for that reason that we would like to thank and urge you to continue doing the same.”
Grizzly Mining Limited is engaged in the processing, grading, marketing and supply of emeralds.
The company is located in Zambia on the Copperbelt Province and in Lufwanyama District, and was formed as part of the Grizzly Group of Companies, which was incorporated in 1997.
