The disappearing woodpile

2007-06-01

After noticing that there was a large pile of waste wood lying unused at the Palabora Mining Company, the Palabora Foundation arranged and paid for the transport of nine tonnes of it to benefit people in the Ba-Phalaborwa area.

Following discussions between the mine’s Mark Surmon and the Foundation’s Jenni Fleming, it was decided to send over half of the wood to six HIV and AIDS orphan projects in three of Ba-Phalaborwa’s poorest rural villages to be used as firewood. This is a basic necessity in these villages, both for providing warmth and for cooking fuel, since electricity is still a scarce luxury. The remainder of the wood was supplied to a carpenter, known as Shokoane G, to enable him to create six new jobs. Shokoane is currently contracted to make furniture for a local safari lodge but had been struggling because he didn’t have enough money to buy new wood.

Jenni Fleming, programme head of Business Development at the Foundation, organised the hire of 18 unemployed labourers through Thebe Investments, as well as two large trucks. The men worked tirelessly, shifting 29 truck loads in all. She was most impressed by their hard work and would like to thank Thebe Investments for arranging such a great team. The operation was so successful that Jenni is planning to do it all again in July.

The Palabora Foundation would like to thank Palabora Mining Company for allowing them to remove the wood, and for providing game rangers to protect the workers, and especially to Mandy Momberg and Mark Surmon for their involvement in organising the day. Thanks also go to Alpha Malatji from the Phelang Community Centre in Namakgale, who directed the trucks to their destinations and helped offload the wood, and to Two Mountains Burial Services for allowing Shokoane to store his wood at their site free of charge.

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