UK Lionsraw volunteers build up pupils’ future
UK Lionsraw volunteers helped build four new classrooms.
A TEAM of 25 self-funded UK Lionsraw volunteers spent two weeks in South Africa to build an additional four classrooms at the Steven Davison Primary School in KwaKimba near Inchanga.
CHEP, which donated money and volunteers to build three classrooms in May this year, also spent a day on the site helping with the four new classrooms.
The children were also all presented with football kits and dresses on the last day, much to their delight.
For Charis Lovegrove (16) from the UK it was a real eye-opener, “It is really heartbreaking but also heartwarming as they are all so happy despite their hardships. It makes you realise how much we waste and how much we take for granted.”
When Lionsraw first saw the school, it was a structure with some walls, no roof and no windows. The community had started to build the first two classrooms but ran out of money.
During the World Cup in 2010, 150 self-funded soccer fans came from the UK to combine their passion for soccer with helping the community. During the two weeks they were in Durban they did four building projects in the Valley of 1 000 Hills which included finishing the two classrooms and building a kitchen/storeroom/office at the school.
The Steven Davison Primary School was officially registered in April 2014 with the Department of Education. It was named after Steven Davison, a Lionraw SA member who was on the original building project at the school and has since built along with local labourers the three newest classrooms and toilet block.
Lionsraw SA was formed officially in November 2010 and in November 2012 obtained NPO status. A bank account was set up in March 2013 and in 2014 they received PBO and Section 18a status.
“The school initially was supposed to be a pre-school and a school for the Grade Rs and Grade 1s. But is now supporting 416 learners from Grade R to Grade 7 using eight classrooms, two mobile classrooms and a rondavel,” explained Ruth Duma, Lionsraw South Africa development manager.
UK volunteer, Martin Boyce, explained that Lionsraw had also implemented a porridge feeding scheme as many of the children were going to school hungry, and a toothbrush/dental programme with a qualified dentist going to the school to teach the children how to brush their teeth properly and supplying the children with toothbrushes and toothpaste.
