De Beers Sports Programme Helps Kids Follow Their Dream

As a start, De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM) has donated football and netball equipment to 13 primary schools in the Blouberg area, close to its Venetia mine.

The Dream Fields programme, launched in October 2015 and supported by the Ponahalo Fund, has established a league with 28 participating schools, all in Blouberg. The young boys and girls compete in netball and soccer with weekly training and matches.

The company provides equipment in the form of football boots, football and netball kit, balls, goalposts, trophies and medals, as well as training. The programme plays an important role in training teachers to become coaches. So far, 24 have been trained as football coaches and 36 as netball coaches.

Sylvester Maputla, a mining operator, who volunteers his time by coaching football teams, said after the equipment handover event: “As a De Beers employee, it was amazing to see how my company is doing good for disadvantaged kids from my own community. I think this is a great initiative because it keeps our children off the streets and discourages them from experimenting with substances such as drugs and alcohol.”

This year, the mine’s contracting partner, JCB, has added its backing, extending the programme into two more schools as part of its social investment in the region.

Josephine Pieters, Corporate Affairs Manager for Venetia mine, said: “Dream Fields is a great initiative, which we are proud to support. Sports development is vital to creating self-esteem, social relationships, leadership skills and physical development in our young people. By supporting this programme in the mining community of Blouberg, we are creating healthy, well-rounded adults who can contribute positively to our society.”

DBCM is a 74/26 per cent partnership between De Beers and Ponahalo Holdings Limited, a broad-based black economic empowerment operation.

About De Beers
De Beers is a member of the Anglo American plc group. Established in 1888, De Beers is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As part of the company’s operating philosophy, the people of De Beers are committed to ‘Building Forever’ by making a lasting contribution to the communities in which they live and work, and transforming natural resources into shared national wealth. For further information about De Beers, visit www.debeersgroup.com.

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