As part of their social responsibility programme, Tusk Venda Casino Hotel presented eight brand new Pentium 4 computers and two printers, worth R28 000, to three rural schools in the Vuwani area.

The presentation took place at the Vhuronga 1 Circuit buildings, Vuwani, on Tuesday morning. The beneficiaries are Kolokoshani, Matodzi and Ratshikwekwete High Schools. Kolokoshani and Matodzi High Schools received one computer each, whereas Matodzi received six computers.

Tusk Venda Casino Hotel General Manager Albert Eksteen said there is a need for entrepreneurs to develop the areas they serve. He said his company was highly touched by the conditions in which rural learners find themselves. "We are obliged to do something for our kids because they are the future of our country. We are forced to invest something back into the education of our kids because total freedom comes through education. Technology has taken the world by storm and it is also good for our rural kids not to be left behind. That is why we are involving ourselves in the donation of the computers."

Eksteen added that the donations are in line with his company’s social responsibility policy. "It would be unwise for our business to receive money from local community members and do nothing to improve the standard of life in the local community. Our policy clearly states that we have a responsibility to invest back something that we collected from the community. We have done so much for the local community in the past, and this is just a beginning for this year. We will never stop supporting our communities because they made us what we are today."

Vhuronga 1 Circuit Manager Mr Muraga Mashamba explains how the benefiting schools were chosen: "Our circuit central committee was tasked to identify local schools, based on their Grade 12 results. Matodzi School received six computers because their results were impressive and besides that, they are the only school that offers computer studies as a subject in the Vhuronga circuit. Ratshikwekwete and Kolokoshani were among the schools whose results need improvement and that is why they qualified for one computer each."

A happy Grade 11 learner at Kolokoshani High School, Piet Makumbane, said: "We are happy that we will be able to touch a computer at last. We have just seen them either on television or in newspapers. This will obviously pave our way to a bright technological future which lies ahead of us. Endless gratitude to Tusk Venda Casino Hotel."