Transformation Projects

iTHEMBA COMMUNITY

Our ECD Transformation Projects

Through the generosity of like-minded individuals and organisations, we have been able to successfully facilitate and complete 5 transformation projects to date. We are grateful to have nurtured and cultivated valuable partnerships over the course of the transformations, allowing us to keep the possibility of further transformation projects alive. The following schools in our Educare Programme were recipients of transformation projects (listed in order of completion): Siyajabula Pre-School, Siyabaphephisa Pre-School, Entokozweni Pre-School and Inkanyezi Pre-School. In 2024, Siyajabula’s facilities expanded to accommodate more learning space for their Grade R learners.

Siyajabula Pre-School

PROJECT DELIGHT

DATE OF EDUCARE PARTNERSHIP: 2012

DATE OF TRANSFORMATION: 2017-2018; 2020 & 2024 (addition of Grade R classroom block)

PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT: AVON Justine

REASON FOR SELECTION: The little school in Embo Valley operated from a garage on the Principals property and housed roughly 30 – 40 children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years. It had very poor lighting and ventilation, staff had little supply of adequate teaching resources and no gross motor development was taking place because the children had no outdoor play equipment.

HOW THE SCHOOL BENEFITS NOW:

siyajabula-before
BEFORE - 2015/2016
AFTER - 2023

Siyabaphephisa Pre-School

PROJECT BRIGHT

DATE OF EDUCARE PARTNERSHIP: 2014

DATE OF TRANSFORMATION: 2017-2018

PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT: Belgotex floors; Container World; Cretemix; DAVGO Steel Construction; Dezzo Roofing; EW Consulting; FABRI TRIM; GROW ECD; Gifford Duminy (Mural Artist); JL Clarkson Land Surveyor; JOJO Tanks; Nation Changers; Northside Electrical and Trades@Work.

REASON FOR SELECTION: Principal Bright Zondi’s original Pre-School had been operating in temporary facilities in Molweni (near Waterfall, KZN) which were far from ideal. Their facilities were not equipped to provide children with a conducive learning environment – besides the structure being unstable, it was poorly lit and ventilated with no outdoor play apparatus for the children to develop their gross-motor skills. The catalyst for this structural upgrade was a meeting with Focus on iThemba and Container World in 2016. Container World offered recycled shipping containers as a solution to building them a new learning space and the momentum grew from there.

HOW THE SCHOOL BENEFITS NOW:

Siyabaphephisa-before
BEFORE - 2017
AFTER - 2017

Entokozweni Pre-School

PROJECT JOY

DATE OF EDUCARE PARTNERSHIP: 2016

DATE OF TRANSFORMATION: 2018-2019

PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT: Belgotex floors; Bidvest SACD; Bo’s Plant & Tool Hire; Container World; Cotswold Leisure Centre & Estate; Cotswold Management Association; Cretemix; Dezzo Roofing; Fry’s Metal; Gifford Duminy, GMA Foundation; GROW ECD; Jocelyn van der Walt; JL Clarkson Land Surveyor; Jojo Tanks; Kerry Ingredients; Key Group; Kloof Round Table; Megan Harker; Mike and Pippa Hankinson; Nicole Singh; Northside Electrical; Lead Architects; Luke Bailes; Sarah and William Hennessy; Sear’s Electrical; Spar Group; Selwyn Green; Shula-Group; The Collies Group; The Spur Group; The Zoe Carss Trust; Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions; Willie Construction and 6 Bar Developments.

REASON FOR SELECTION: The school’s facilities weren’t conducive to age-appropriate learning as all age groups (0 – 5years) were placed in one building on the Principals property. Structurally, the building which was used as a church on the weekends, had poor lighting and ventilation, no ablutions, play equipment or space for gross-motor development.

HOW THE SCHOOL BENEFITS NOW:

BEFORE - 2018
AFTER - 2019

Inkanyezi Pre-School

PROJECT STAR

DATE OF EDUCARE PARTNERSHIP: 2020

DATE OF TRANSFORMATION: 2020-2022

PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT: The Bagnoli Family, The Belgotex Foundation Trust NPC, Bonga Hardware, Container World Self Storage, Container World, Cotswold Downs Estate, Cretemix, EW Consulting, Fry’s Metals, The GMA Foundation, GROW ECD, JOJO Tanks, JL Clarkson Land Surveyor, Kerry Ingredients South Africa, Key Group, Lead Architects, Nu-Quip, Pesco, Shula-Group, South African Container Depot, Topia Water, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions, Warthog Plant Hire, Willie Construction, ZBR Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd.

REASON FOR SELECTION: The school’s learning facilities posed a serious health and safety concern – their ablutions consisted of only one toilet and tap for staff and children to share, and among other concerns, out of the two wendy houses that were on the property, only one was being used as a classroom because the other was in a very dilapidated condition. This arrangement was unsuitable for quality age-appropriate teaching and learning to take place. In addition, the outdoor play apparatus could not be used because of its inferior condition thus hindering the children’s gross motor development.

HOW THE SCHOOL BENEFITS NOW:

PHASE 2 DEVELOPMENTS:

inkanyezi-before
BEFORE - 2020
inkanyezi-after
AFTER - 2022 (Installation of third container classroom)
Scroll to Top