After deciding towards the end of 2022 to “adopt” the struggling parents-funded private primary school Educational Programme Centre in Denver, Johannesburg, LH Marthinusen (LHM) focussed its attention on this school when celebrating Mandela Day in July this year.
The school, the latest addition to the beneficiaries of LHM’s social responsibility programme, was found at the time of its adoption by the division to be in dire need of additional financial help to keep going.
At that time it had been devastated by vandalism, which left it with a badly broken perimeter fence, which in turn resulted in parts of the school buildings being vandalised, including having the learners’ toilets and wash-basins trashed and much of the metalwork, including the steel taps from the wash-basins, stolen, rendering these facilities unusable.
LHM came to the rescue by hiring contractors to replace the perimeter fence, including fitting it with razor wire to prevent any further entry by intruders, refurbishing the toilets and wash-basins, restoring the sewerage system to working order, replacing all broken windows throughout the school, and removing piles of rubbish that community members living nearby had previously dumped into the school property from the road bridge overlooking it.
By the time Mandela Day came round on July 18 this year the school had been restored to a presentable and workable state that its administrators, teachers and 150 Grades 1 to 8 learners could be justifiably proud of, thanks to LHM’s commitment to make it functional again and taking the necessary steps to ensure that it remains so.
For Mandela Day LHM staff decided after consultation with the Principal, Ray Dhliwayo, and his staff to re-paint the classrooms, doors and blackboards, as well as the school hall, which they agreed to do on Friday July 21.
LHM’s sales team arranged food and drinks for the day for all the children, school staff and LHM volunteers.
“It was a great experience to see the smiles of the children as they witnessed the transformation of the rooms they spend most of their week in,” commented Charmaine Hall, LHM’s Divisional HR Manager.
Mr Dhliwayo expressed his thanks to LHM for its generosity and public spiritedness in helping to put the school properly back on its feet and helping to overcome the serious setbacks it had suffered in recent years, “You have enabled us to look forward to a brighter future now, which we wouldn’t have been able to do without your help,” he said.