Orapa Cycling Club ride to the rescue
Driven by passion, the desire to leave a lasting legacy and make an impact on lives in and around the Boteti area, Orapa Cycling Club successfully hosted its annual Cycling Challenge this past Sunday.
Held under the theme ‘Support a school – Cycle2School Project’, the challenge attracted several other cycling clubs as well as pro cyclists from the region.
In his welcome remarks, Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) General Manager, Mogakolodi Maoketsa said the Cycle2School programme aims to enhance students’ academic performance by addressing challenges arising from lengthy daily commutes. “Some students walk long distances on a daily basis to and from school. The intention I have been informed is to use some of the proceeds of today’s event to procure bicycles for the underprivileged students who walk long distances, thus empowering the young children to overcome transportation challenges and consequently improve students’ academic performance,” mentioned Maoketsa.
The OLDM GM said the initiative aligns with Debswana’s purpose of making life brilliant. He said the diamond mining giant is on a mission to support the education space and improve academic performance in primary and secondary schools. He revealed the company has set itself a target to ensure that they support schools in their area of influence to be amongst the top 20 percent performing schools nationally by 2030. “It is, therefore, quite pleasing to see Debswana clubs such as Orapa Cycling Club investing into projects that promote and improve academic performance,” he said.
His sentiments were reiterated by Pako Moroka of EH Construction Excavator Hire in his keynote address. Moroka said the initiative is close to his heart as one of the event sponsors. He reminded the many people who attended that in many parts of the country, the path to education is not a straight or simple one, as to many learners, attending school each day means walking long and often exhausting distances, under challenging conditions. “This daily hardship not only affects punctuality and attendance, but it also impacts students’ energy levels, focus, and ultimately, their academic performance,” said Moroka, adding that the Cycle2School Project was conceived as a response to this very challenge. “By providing bicycles to students who endure such long commutes on foot, we aim to remove a major barrier to education — transportation,” he said.
Moroka further said the bicycles represented more than just mobility, but are instruments of empowerment. “They symbolize access, dignity, and the belief that every child, regardless of background or geography, deserves an equal opportunity to succeed,” Moroka said.
EH Construction is a 100 percent citizen owned company, established in 1987 as a plant hire business trading as Excavator Hire. The company later changed its focus to construction and has completed numerous projects in the mining industry such as bulk earthworks, roads, tailings dam, civil works, sports fields just to mention a few.
