THE Pinetown Rotary Club is working with the KwaNdengezi community to minimise poverty and equip people with skills.
Over the years the rotary club has spent hundreds of thousands of Rands with the help of donors as they have many projects around the area and have built and renovated some crèches to suit the children.
Bill Draper, Pinetown Rotary Club services director, said more than 100 pre-schools and crèche teachers were sent on courses to equip them with University level training.
“The rotary have upgraded 60 pre-schools and crèche and supplied them with teaching aids.”
Draper said in one of the surveys that was done, it was revealed that 51 percent of the children do not attend pre-school and crèche and by the time they reach Grade R or Grade 1, they cannot even hold a pen.
“That percentage dropped from 51 per cent to 11 per cent in the three months that we started assisting and uplifting the crèches in the area.At the moment the rotary works hand in hand with more than 70 people in the community.
“We work together with the community, instead of doing things for them so that they can also be able to stand on their own two feet and be confident enough to go out and assist others,” he added.
Principal of Imbalenhle Creche, Nonhlanhla Buthelezi, heads one of the many crèches that the Rotary Club assists. She said the Rotary Club has really changed the children’s lives.
“This crèche use to look like a forest, it was in a very bad condition which was not healthy for the children. They have changed the floor, painted the rooms separated the rooms for toddlers and bigger children. The rotary built a veranda and extended toilets. We now have an office where we keep important documents.”
Buthelezi said they were really grateful to the Pinetown Rotary Club for everything that they have done and still do for the creche.
“The upliftment of the crèche has even increased the attendance of the children as this place is a safe and happy place, and they also have uniforms,” she said.
The Pinetown Rotary Club has called on people from the area, especially young people, to join them in uplifting the community.
People who are interested can contact Draper on 082 652 8648.
