2 x 30m2 prefabricated classrooms
Date Launched
10 March 2023
Location
Ravensmead,
Western Cape
No of children
115 children
Year started
2012
Impact achieved
•MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet and Breadline Africa’s individual donors made a very special dream come true for the principal of Ravensmead Crèche, Sarah Strauss. Not only did she receive a new classroom for the two- to three-year age group, she received a classroom to cater to the specific requirements of the special needs children that are enrolled at the school.
•Sarah explained that the school was originally established in 2012 and was later abandoned and vandalised. Three years ago, she reopened the school without even having running water and electricity. “Today is a very emotional day, this is a dream come true, my long-term goal is to start a special needs centre, which is greatly needed. This is a broken community with social problems and emotional problems. Children are abused, there is drug abuse, but I want to better our community. These two classrooms are a start … we are not just a crèche, we are an early childhood development centre to develop the children of this community.”
•GROW Educare Head of Education, Lisa Voortman, shared her experience of meeting Sarah: “A couple of years ago, a women knocked on our door wanting to partner with us. She invited us to her building, and I walked around and saw challenges; no water, no electricity, a rundown building in an unsafe area. But then I got to know Sarah and there is no ‘No ‘in her vocabulary! She will not settle for second best. She believes that it takes an entire community to raise a child and is always sending her teachers for training to improve their offering. The children are going to do great things and say that they came from this centre. Thank you, Sarah, for being the most incredible partner.”
•Breadline Africa Partnership Manager: Caroline Tinsley, added: “Thank you to Sarah, the teachers and the community of Ravensmead for allowing us to come and see this beautiful school that you have created. Our expertise lies in infrastructure, we work with expert contractors who help us to provide these amazing structures. But we couldn’t have done what we did without our generous donors and partners on the ground. Thank you.”
