Determined Dad Leads Mission to Fix School Toilets at His Daughter's School

Photo Credit: Sizo Tshabalala via Facebook

A determined dad has taken the initiative to turn his daughter’s concern about the hazardous toilets at her school into a powerful community effort to help restore safety, dignity and hope for all 1,400 learners.

Mpumalanga, South Africa (08 July 2026) – When Sizo Tshabalala‘s daughter raised concerns about the state of the toilets at her school, he was taken aback to learn about the poor conditions she and her peers had to endure.

Not long after their conversation, he went to check the facilities himself and was shocked by what he discovered. He described the toilets as hazardous to the health of the young girls and dangerous to the school, as learners had to tolerate conditions they should never be exposed to.

Realising the negative effects this sanitation issue could have on learners and knowing that a negative environment can impact a child’s well-being and future, Sizo took it upon himself to stand up and do something.

The determined dad managed to convince the school leadership that the toilets had to be fixed.

This week, the project to fix 27 toilets got underway, including repairs to the toilets, plumbing, windows and walls.

“This project is one of the most important projects I have ever been part of. I am deeply grateful,” Sizo said.

Although the school is under-resourced, it strives to deliver the best possible education to its 1,400 learners, leading the whole district in high pass rates and the quality of marks.

Sizo expressed confidence in the plumbing company that has come on board and said that improving something so basic, yet so psychologically important, will have a direct impact on how the children think and behave in the future.

“They must never tolerate anything that is poverty, and poverty must never be glorified!”

Sizo prides himself on being a farming businessman who not only works to earn profits for himself but also aspires to see his entire community thriving and producing individuals with problem-solving and wealth-building mindsets.

As the pipes are replaced and the broken ablutions repaired, improved sanitation, safety and dignity will be restored for all learners, thanks to a dad who heard his daughter, responded and rallied a community to take action.