Gold bush for Tsumeb homeless

The huge amount of hard wood that comes from the clearing of the land for the Otjikoto Gold Project is now being put to good use. Operator of the Otjikoto Gold Project, Canadian miner B2Gold identified a benefactor living in Tsumeb and supplied him with a large amount of wood for cooking.
Eugene Reineke uses the tips that he earns as a waiter at the Makalani Hotel to buy groceries and to cook healthy meals for homeless and vulnerable children left to fend for themselves. B2Gold’s Corporate Social Responsibility department surprised him with a “Valentine’s gift” by delivering a truckload of firewood on his doorstep – enough cooking fuel for three months. He was also taken on a grocery shopping trip to the value of N$5,000 to help sustain the vulnerable children of his home town.

The donated fire wood is a product of the “Piles of Love” project, a B2Gold initiative that saves wood from the land-clearing activities at the Otjikoto Gold Project and then distributes it to vulnerable groups in the Otjozondjupa Region. Eugene is not only a kind and humble individual, but also ingenious: He uses the old inside drum of a washing machine as an energy-saving stove to cook food for the kids. “Two or three pieces of wood can prepare a full meal in one of these”, he explained.
Sherri Lytle, B2Gold CSR Manager, after meeting Eugene in Tsumeb said “Eugene is all about the children! His goals are huge and his heart is just as big. He is the most impressive person that I have met thus far in Namibia.” B2Gold Namibia’s Otjikoto Gold Mine is currently under construction just off the B1 between Otjiwarongo and Otavi – It is set to start production in the last quarter of 2014.