Zanokhanyo Educare Centre

22m² kitchen & toilet fibreglass unit (subdivided)

Impact achieved

• Xoliswa Mangiya established Zanokhanyo Educare Centre in 1995 and received formal registration from the government for the facility. Over the years, the infrastructure deteriorated in the harsh African weather, and in 2017, the centre was de-registered and the subsidies withdrawn. In 2010 Ntombodidi Barnes, Xoliswa’s daughter, became principal and drawing on all of her limited resources, she was able to build precast Vibracrete classrooms, but lacked the funding to build a kitchen and to replace the portable chemical plastic potties. Sadly, Ntombodidi’s mother passed away in 2021 without seeing the huge improvements to the pre-school, made possible through the generosity of Breadline Africa’s donors.

• The centre received a 22m² fibreglass unit subdivided into kitchen and toilet facilities which only just fitted into the small site. Designed and built by a local boat manufacturer, it doesn’t face the rust challenges that shipping containers do.  Maintenance is simpler and it is more cost-effective than other infrastructure solutions.

• An innovative design feature of this structure is the in-built rainwater harvesting system. Rainwater runs from the gutters into a storage tank that is located under the floor. The tank is about 400mm high and runs under the entire structure. So, the 15m² tank holds 6,000 litres of water which is then pumped up using a small electrical pump for use in the kitchen and toilet facilities.

• Breadline Africa director, Marion Wagner said: “Access to quality education for all is the most powerful instrument we have to end poverty. We need to start with children who are very young, providing them with the foundation they need to write and read for meaning, to learn and develop. The Department of Basic Education is streamlining the requirements for pre-schools to access support but we still have a long road ahead of us. Our appreciation goes to the South African Chamber of Commerce and amazing donors such as AE Collins, T O’Brien, A Walsh and Glenys O’Malley who made this unit a reality.”

• South Africa Chamber of Commerce Director and Chair: Sharon Constançon explained how the Chamber became a Breadline Africa donor: “We took part in the Virtual London Marathon in 2021 to raise funds for Breadline Africa and its ideal as people can do it anywhere in the world. This year, we had participants in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Mauritius, Greece, Spain and England. Nine of us walked on the same day, the same distance and we all completed our routes! When I did it the year before, I was able to select a flattish easy route from my house to the motorway onramp and back again. This time the Marathon clashed with a week away in Spain which meant I had no choice but to follow a very undulating route with steep hills along the coast and my knees still have not recovered!

We raised a lot of money doing something physical, sharing our photographs and our challenges: which included walking or running at night, the cold and the unknown and trying to find a toilet. There was an irony in looking for a toilet when we were trying to solve the same problem for Zanokhanyo Educare Centre. There I was, thousands of miles from Cape Town and I had the same need as these little girls and boys! It’s so special to do something with a purpose and I’d like to thank everyone here for giving me that opportunity.”

• The guests were joined by our UK Breadline Africa ambassador, Jane Hardy visiting from Northumberland, and Etta and David Howard, who have been dedicated donors since 2006.