Not Just Diamonds

The Cullinan Mine sits outside the town of Cullinan in South Africa. The mine is heralded for its spectacular and famous diamonds, including the mine’s namesake, the largest diamond ever found. But beyond its wealth and fame, the mine has moved other kinds of mountains to improve the quality of life for the community of Cullinan, and its neighbors Refilwe and Rayton, through a wide variety of humanitarian projects.

The Cullinan Charity Fund fills its ranks with mine employees volunteering their time at one or more of the critical projects in the area.

• The Tshepong Center for the Physically Disabled shelters 40 people, including children, and provides emotional support, skills training, and cognitive stimulation.
• The Local School Support Program funds schools filled with destitute children.
• The Poverty Alleviation Program focuses on job creation, training, start­up capital, and food parcel distribution.
• The Medical Support Program pays half of patient medical costs and absorbs major surgical operation expenses that families cannot afford. The program also provides physiological therapy, medical equipment, and special disability training for childcare workers.

Employees contribute monthly to the fund and seek pledges from local businesses. Numerous other projects keep Cullinan busy. Agriculture is of the greatest importance, and the Vukuzenzele Agriculture Project aims to strengthen the market and create jobs in Refilwe. The Kungwini Agricultural Hub Project has a particular emphasis encouraging women and youth to work in the agriculture sector. Cullinan has recommended a change in the scope of the Refilwe Waste Water Reticulation System Upgrade Project, located in the Nokeng Tsa Taemane municipality, towards job creation and poverty alleviation.

Due to its worldwide fame and popularity with tourists, Cullinan has even created a project to develop a local arts and crafts industry by training women and youth in beadwork, art and craft skills, as well as hiring young HDSA tour operators from the local Nokeng Tsa Taemane municipality.

Cullinan’s exhaustive scope of work, elevating life and prosperity in southern Africa, is unparalleled. Its commitment to a quality product is exceeded only by its mission to give back to the community all that the soil has yielded and so much more. This pledge is exemplary and makes the name, Cullinan, more than just the name of a famous diamond.

Source for all Petra Diamond initiatives.

Note: The southern African diamond mining industry is committed to the social and economic development of local communities. The Orapa and Cullinan mines are fine examples of this commitment.