For the 235 children who call the Katora Primary School hostel in Spitzkoppe home, the essentials of daily life—something as simple as a mattress to sleep on or cutlery to eat with—have been missing for a long time.
That changed this month when Bannerman Mining Resources Namibia and Orano Mining Namibia joined forces to restore a sense of dignity and comfort to the learners.
The two uranium mining companies, both rooted in the Erongo Region, donated mattresses and cutlery worth N$50,000 to the hostel on Friday, 5 September.
The gesture was anchored in a simple yet powerful belief: a child who does not sleep or eat properly cannot learn properly.
Good rest and a decent meal are the building blocks of concentration, participation, and ultimately, improved educational outcomes.
The initiative was inspired by the annual Fat Rock cycling event, which sees groups of cyclists ride fat bikes from Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe, with a halfway stop at Orano’s Trekkopje site.
The event was founded by Bannerman’s Werner Ewald together with cycling enthusiast and mining industry friend, Berni Volkmann, who passed away recently.
This year’s ride was not only a test of endurance but also a memorial to Volkmann’s life, blending sport, remembrance, and community upliftment.
In 2024, the Fat Rock outreach extended support to vulnerable households in Spitzkoppe village.
This year, the focus shifted to the children of Katora Primary School, whose hostel lacked basic items that most take for granted.
Eating with their hands not only robbed the children of dignity but also hindered their ability to focus on learning. By equipping the hostel with mattresses and cutlery, Bannerman and Orano hope to bridge that gap.
At the handover ceremony, Katora Primary School Principal, Elvin Majiedt, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the two mining companies.
“This contribution helps to improve the learning outcomes of our children,” he said, emphasising that the impact would ripple far beyond the hostel walls into the classrooms where learners can now rest better and eat with dignity.
The collaboration between Bannerman and Orano is more than a corporate social responsibility gesture—it is a reminder that when industry, sport, and community spirit intersect, they can deliver tangible change to the lives of children who represent the future of the Erongo Region.
