19 August 2011

Debswana in partnership with one of its suppliers, Caterpillar, will on August 22^nd start a health care initiative whose aim is to take dental health care to local schools in an effort contribute positively to provision of health care in Botswana. The mobile dental clinic will be at the Kgalagadi Primary School until August 26^th, before moving to Gaborone from August 29^th to October 2^nd and finally Letlhakane from October 3^rd to 7^th, 2011.

Through the mobile dental clinic initiative, about 300 pupils in Kgalagadi, Gaborone and Letlhakane are expected to receive general dental care and education from a qualified dentist, licensed to operate in Botswana by the Botswana Dental Association.

“One of the pillars of our partnership with Debswana is that we are both committed to playing a meaningful role in Botswana’s socio-economic development, this includes health. Having previously disbursed lap desks to students in the Jwaneng Mine area, we collectively agreed to take our social responsibility to another level, thus target both the Orapa and Letlhakane area, the Jwaneng Mine area as well as Gaborone, where the Debswana Head Office is based” said Mr. Ramesh Tipirneni the General Manager of Caterpillar, South Africa.

Health care is one of the Debswana Corporate Social Investment initiative’s primary focus areas. “We are therefore excited to have partnered with one of our suppliers, Caterpillar, to bring a smile to young people who ordinarily do not have their teeth checked as regularly as they should. The local councils in the three areas were very helpful in assisting us choose these schools to ensure our combined effort is more impactful”, said the Debswana Group Public and Corporate Affairs Manager, Esther Kanaimba- Senai.