It’s not every day that the team celebrates the launch of a new office (rather than a classroom, toilet or kitchen), but on Wednesday, 8 June 2022, the exception that proves the rule took place at Intervisionary Educare in the township of Masiphumelele on the outskirts of Cape Town.
The pre-school was established in January 2022 and operates from a small property that was originally built by the government as housing for the community. There is a dire need in the area for pre-school facilities for the little ones, but Masiphumelele is extremely overcrowded, and space is at a premium, so when the opportunity arose to convert this small house, the Visionary CAN Ladies Community, who run the facility, eagerly took it up.
Consequently, the 40 children who attend the pre-school were crammed into a large classroom that was subdivided into an office area, where parent meetings took place, and an open-plan kitchen. The office was also being used as a counselling room for survivors of domestic violence – very far from the ideal learning environment. When Breadline Africa assessed this very small site, the most practical solution was to provide a dedicated office space for the principal and counsellors to use, thereby freeing up more classroom space.
Principal, Ms Matilda Tsitsi Fakazi thanked Claremont Rotary Club and Southey Contracting for funding the office and Breadline Africa for this clever use of the limited land available to them. She explained that she had not attended pre-school herself and had seen the difference that it makes being prepared for ‘big school’. She added that when she started a community feeding programme, she noticed how many of the local children were not attending pre-school and had resolved to ensure that they would have a place to go!
Representing Breadline Africa, Ali Waggie congratulated Ms Fakazi on her achievement, adding that although the school only opened in early 2022, every time the team visited, they could see growth. He wished her and the children every success.
