PROTEC gets another mining engineering bursary
2006-09-12
Daniel
Raganya is a Grade 12 student who attends Frans du Toit High School for his
usual lessons. He also finds time to attend the PROTEC and Master
Maths lessons in the afternoons at the Palabora Foundation’s Rixile Education
Centre in Lulekani. Daniel is now offered a bursary by Anglo Coal to study
for a degree in mining engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand in
2007.
The purpose of the PROTEC programme is to identify students with potential in Mathematics and Science and groom them into Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology fields at the tertiary level. A student with potential in Mathematics and Science will find the PROTEC and Master Maths programmes highly beneficial in getting very high scores in Matric. Daniel has been regularly attending the afternoon lessons and finally it paid off.
Anglo Coal is an international company with mining operations in Australia, Colombia, Venezuela and South Africa. Coal is the most abundant source of fossil fuel energy in the world, considerably exceeding known reserves of oil and gas. In South Africa, Anglo Coal recorded $463 million profit in 2005 compared to $252 million in 2004. The bulk of the coal produced world wide is used for power generation where it competes with oil, gas, nuclear and hydro power generation.
During the July holidays, Daniel was called to Durban to attend a special winter school in Mathematics and Science for one week. He was also fortunate to be selected as one of the three leading students during that winter school and he was flown to Cape Town to visit the University of Cape Town. He also visited one of the underground coal mines in Witbank. “I personally thank PROTEC and Master Maths for my success and I am really inspired by my teachers and parents to work hard every day”, says the elated Daniel.
The PROTEC programme in Phalaborwa is sponsored by all the three major companies namely Palabora Mining Company, Foskor, Sasol Nitro as well as Standard Bank, Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, Lepelle Northern Water, Phalaborwa Business Chamber, Professional Career Consulltants and the Department of Education.
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