Harmony Primary School opened its sports facilities to other schools and community projects; MiWay and collaborators gave the school upgrades as a way to reward this generosity.
Lenasia South Africa (27 August 2022) – Ubuntu is the unofficial language of South Africa; it can be found in every act of kindness and rippling through every community across the country. It is in Ubuntu, that we see the most beautiful acts of kindness shine through. For Harmony Primary School, the spirit of Ubuntu is strong!
The school, located in Lenasia, serves a low-income community and does everything it can to serve everyone. Harmony Primary School opened their doors to the greater community, to make sure everyone had access to its sports facilities and hall when needed.
Not every school surrounding Harmony Primary has access to the same resources, and despite this lack of access, there are still youths with bright futures and dreams ready to flourish.
Our country is home to many stories of young achievers – athletes and learners alike – who were not necessarily educated in classrooms or sports environments that were adequate, never mind aesthetically pleasing or conducive to ‘excellence’. Community giving lends itself to inspiring a love of learning, a desire for excellence and a space in which children are challenged to dream and achieve big.
“For the last two years of lockdown, our young learners missed the opportunity to enjoy their social circles, on and off the field. We know that physical activity, and more so, team sports, offer children the mental and emotional stimulation they need, while teaching them invaluable principles and discipline at the same time.” – Haseena Khan, Harmony Primary School Acting Principal
Over the years, MiWay Insurance has brought the school into its ‘giving family’ with the aim of identifying short-term investment opportunities, for long-term impact. This year, the fruits of this relationship took shape and blossomed in the form of upgrades to the classrooms and sports facilities, thanks to the generosity of a ‘community’ of givers and collaborators.
Giving comes in many forms – for some, it’s a donation of their time. For others, it’s resources or relationships. In this instance, ’MiWay’s ‘Give Language’ included every form of giving, from the inside out, with employees, suppliers, and ‘giving’ partners such as Wallpaper Online, Modern Homes, OmniProtect and ORS, coming together to reignite the passions of young learners.
This particular project was a “great demonstration of the power of collaboration” as a number of the company’s suppliers extended their services, products and expertise to the upgrade of the school’s common areas, soccer pitch, two netball courts and every single classroom at Harmony Primary School.
From the refurbished chalkboards and classrooms to the ‘happy spaces’ with outdoor motivational messages for learners, every part of the upgrade was a result of ubuntu-inspired giving.
The new upgrades will make these facilities a far more pleasant experience for the learners and others from the community. Harmony Primary has so much more to offer the greater community.
“It was indeed an experience of generosity our learners will not forget. It also provided an excellent opportunity to our learners to experience the meaning of “UBUNTU” personally and physically, which they will now be able to extend even further to others from their communities.” – adds Khan.
With the heart, grit and passion for life that comes with ubuntu, it is no wonder giving is a love language. One that is not foreign to South Africans, mind you, so much so that it should have long since been made an official language in the streets of Mzansi. No matter what you call it in your hood, umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.
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