Vuyani school - Cape Town
In 2007 we visited Vuyani Pre-Primary School in the Guguletu township and spent a week with the school building a new classroom block for the Grade R children. The 60 children in the 2 classes were using one small classroom, which was very cramped and not equipped for their needs. Tamar built a separate classroom block containing 2 classrooms and a toilet block. We also constructed a jungle gym and a basketball court, and helped with renovations in the school including replacing their blackboards. In order to cover the costs of the renovation work we raised £23,000 through donations and charity events.
Vuyani is in the middle of Guguletu, one of the biggest townships in Cape Town. The school was built in 1961 and teaches 750 children aged between 5 and 11.
Despite the surrounding poverty, the school copes remarkably well with the lack of funds. They utilise whatever they can, the school fence is made from the old legs of desks, and the atmosphere is warm and very friendly. We were struck by their resourcefulness and willingness to help themselves and make life better for pupils and teachers alike. The headmaster of the school, Mr Nquvamba, was a pupil himself and his then headmistress is now the deputy principal. There is a huge amount of history here and what the school does have is looked after well.
The relationship continued when the Cape Town office went back for a week in 2008 to lay paving around the classroom and to fit a fence around the Grade R play area. The school, and indeed the surrounding area, is all built in sand, which is impossible to turf and makes it very difficult to keep the school buildings clean. Adding the paving means the teachers and children are able to walk around on a stable surface and better keep indoor areas free of sand and the outdoors. The fence also meant that the Grade R pupils could enjoy their playground without the older children trying to get involved!
In 2009 the team returned for the third year. This time they constructed bookshelves for all the classrooms, as well as filling them with books for the children. The team also added to the outdoor area by constructing a seesaw and a shaded area to provide some cover for the hot summer months. It was a real delight to work alongside the teachers and pupils again and a great way to cement the ongoing relationship.