From redundancy to edutainment

An unserviceable forklift that lay discarded in the scrapyard of Namdeb at Oranjemund is now part of the fun-learning playground at Oranjemund Pre-Primary School. After removing all mechanical parts, the forklift was treated to a clean-up and a repaint.

The refurbished forklift was donated to the pre-primary school to assist the school in creating a stimulating environment for the children. The old machine became redundant four years ago as the replacement parts it requires were discontinued in the market and no scrap metal dealers were interested in purchasing it. Namdeb’s transport section saw an opportunity and opted to refurnish it by removing the engine, forks, transmission and added a touch of paint to it. Namdeb’s Jacque van der Merwe, who handed over the donation, is hopeful that this oversized toy will go a long way to enhance the children’s knowledge of the mine’s operational equipment. He encouraged other corporates to find similar nurturing homes for their old scrap as it can benefit the future generations. The forklift was donated a few weeks before the school closed and arrived as an early Christmas present for the children.