Not only has Willowton Group helped with this school, but the corporate has also donated R5,000,000 to the Gift of the Givers Foundation to turn back the clock on Day Zero in Gqeberha.
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (18 July 2022) – Eastwood Secondary School in Pietermaritzburg put out a call for help after classrooms were severely damaged by harsh weather over six months ago, and Willowton Group came to the rescue.
Operations Executive Mohamed Ishfaaq Moosa said that Willowton Group had answered a plea for help from the school, which no longer had sufficient classrooms for all its learners and was trying to accommodate them on a rotational basis.
Building work on two of the six damaged buildings began at the end of June and is complete for the commencement of the third term in July. All asbestos roofing on the two buildings has been removed and a completely new roof installed, so the children are not exposed to any asbestos-related health hazards.
“It is imperative that we invest in our children’s education as this will give them the opportunity to perform well for matric and access higher education and skills training initiatives. Education is key to lifting people out of poverty and allowing them to access job and entrepreneurial opportunities. We were very concerned that the learners were not attending school daily. Since they are in high school especially grades 11 and 12, they need quality education, and for this to happen, they need to be in school,” Mr Moosa explained.
The total amount spent on the renovations at Eastwood Secondary School is R800,000.
The fact that education is very close to Willowton Group’s heart is evident in its contribution to several KZN schools. In 2021 and 2022, the corporate assisted ten schools with the building of infrastructure and classrooms and helped more than 30 schools with funding for school fees and feeding programs.
Mr Moosa explained that they could not ignore the plight of the school after principal, Mr Keith Solomons, who was facing a very long wait for assistance from the KZN Department of Education, which has been inundated with calls for help in the wake of widespread flooding throughout the province during the first half of 2022, appealed for help.
According to Mr Solomons, on the 22nd of December, the school and the surrounding area were hit by a destructive hailstorm. Large hailstones made enormous holes in the already fragile asbestos roofs of six buildings (23 classrooms, four HoD offices, one administrative office block and the female learner toilets).
The ongoing heavy summer rains from then onwards led to the collapse of ceilings and total exposure of the mould-infested aerolite insulation and asbestos, which posed a serious health hazard to learners, educators and staff. The ongoing rain also damaged all desks and chairs in the broken buildings, leaving staff and educators to work from their vehicles and learners without facilities.
The Department of Education covered roofs with tarpaulins to prevent further damage and provided 16 mobile classrooms, which enabled the school to continue teaching on a rotational basis.
Mr Solomon said that learners lost out on a lot of teaching and learning time this year, and completion of the curriculum remained a serious challenge. As a result, Eastwood Secondary School is extremely grateful for the assistance to repair two teaching blocks (a single storey and the middle teaching block) as it would provide an additional ten classrooms.
Mzwandile Goge, Ward 34 Business Network Convener, Imbumba for Social Change Founder, and Eastwood resident said, “ in December 2021, a bad storm hit the school, severely damaging the asbestos cement roof, windows, and the gutters. When the school opened for the first term, they were challenged to operate. The Department of Education indicated they would fix the school before the end of the first term, but by the middle of the second term, they had not started.”
“The refurbished classrooms will allow the whole school to return at full capacity on a day-to-day basis in the third term.”
“As a community member, I am grateful because Eastwood High School services more than just ward 34. It serves 1,500 students coming from all over Pietermaritzburg as well as, as far as Hammarsdale and Howick.”
Where the department of education has delayed fixing the school, the private company’s generosity has allowed for education in our community to continue. We can confidentially say the school will return to normal.
Eastwood Secondary School opened in 1983 and is situated in the suburb of Eastwood on the North-East side of Pietermaritzburg. Although it started with just grades 8 and 9 and served what was regarded as the coloured community at the time, it has evolved into a school that caters for all other grades with over 1 000 learners. Because it serves several disadvantaged areas, including our informal settlements, the school has struggled with funding, especially during Covid-19.
It is the only secondary school in the area and plays a valuable role in the surrounding communities.
Not only has Willowton Group helped with this school, but the corporate has also donated R 5,000,000 to the Gift of the Givers Foundation to turn back the clock on Day Zero in Gqeberha. The funds will help start the emergency borehole drilling operations to bring relief to Nelson Mandela Bay communities as water reserves have dropped to crisis levels.
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