A Kei Mouth primary school that was on the verge of closure three years ago, has been given a breath of life with the donation of much-needed classrooms.
Fort Warwick Primary School, which was once a collection of unsafe mud structures, started out with fewer than 100 pupils on a private farm. Tragedy struck when the farm was sold and the new owner ordered the school to move.
The department of public works came to the rescue with the provision of three temporary structures, with the community sacrificing their only soccer field for school grounds. Despite this, the grades R and 1 pupils were still without a classroom, using an old zinc structure instead.
This until a Swiss national, who worked as a volunteer on a farm for a few months last year, came to the rescue. School principal Xoliswa Mashibini said the good Samaritan, who wished to remain anonymous, was so touched by the their plight that upon his return to Switzerland, he set about raising funds.
“He told me that he was going to do something about it when he goes back home in Switzerland. As promised, he got into contact with our mediator, and they discussed all the upgrades that need to happen at the school,” said Mashibini.
The school’s mediator, Collin Hoseck, runs a programme on his farm in which volunteers learn about permaculture and husbandry. He said the donor saw the school while on the programme.
Last December the Swiss sent the school R130 000 for the construction of new classrooms, which were unveiled on Thursday at a little ceremony attended by parents.
Parent Nomfanelo Sazela said she was happy that the standard of the school was finally improving.
“This is the only school in the area that our children can go to and it hurts us as parents knowing that our children were forced to learn under such conditions. But now… things are looking up.”
Mashibini said next on the list was a kitchen and water tanks.