Sonstraaltjie Kleuterskool, an early-child development centre in Hawston, is 50 years old and is receiving much-needed assistance from the Rotary Club, which provides service, goodwill and understanding, for which it partners with other fellow Rotarians, businesses, professionals and community leaders.
For the Sonstraaltjie project in particular, the Hermanus Rotary Club partnered with the Rotary Clubs of Newlands, Cape Town and other role-players. The Rotarians, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) and the Enlighten Education Trust marked the completion of a major infrastructure project at the crèche on Thursday 21 November with a traditional roof-wetting ceremony.
Over the years many local residents started their education journey at Sonstraaltjie, among them Arnie Africa, councillor for Ward 8.
ECD centres lie at the very heart of Rotary Hermanus’ work, and the club is regularly involved in working with preschoolers.
President of the Rotary Hermanus Club Natalie Scholtz said: “We are very involved in the ECD space in Hermanus in three phases, which comprises assisting unregistered ECDs to acquire registration, assisting with structural fixes to acquire registration, involving seven ECDs in Zwelihle, Hawston and Mount Pleasant, and we’re constructing a new ECD Centre in collaboration with the Overstrand Municipality.”
Rotary also donated knitted blankets to Sonstraaltjie after the cold and rainy conditions in June. “The children very excitedly wrapped themselves in their new blankets and we knew that we want to do more to uplift the school,” Scholtz pointed out.
The club is currently raising funds to divide the large room into separate classrooms. “But the highlight was when we raised sufficient funds to have the crèche’s existing asbestos roof removed and replaced with a new metal roof,” said Scholtz.
“This ensures Sonstraaltjies can meet health and safety standards for re-registration with the Department of Basic Education.”
She said the old roof had naturally presented safety and health risks for the young children and teaching staff, and through the Rotary network, Enlighten Education Trust and CCPB funding was raised for a new roof structure.
“We are proud to have played a part in creating a safer environment for the children at Sonstraaltjies,” said Priscilla Urquhart, Head of Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability at CCPB.
“Supporting community-based education initiatives such as this aligns with our commitment to making a lasting, positive impact.”
The project was a collective effort, with CCPB and Rotary Newlands contributing R290 000 to the total project cost of R500 000. Rotary Hermanus provided R53 000 for vital internal repairs. “The new roof now meets all necessary health and safety requirements, allowing Sonstraaltjies to proceed with its re-registration process,” Urquhart pointed out.
Rodney Nissen, Project Manager at Enlighten Education Trust, added: “Such projects exemplify the power of community collaboration. The safe, upgraded facilities at Sonstraaltjies will provide a [proper] nurturing environment for young children to learn and grow, setting a strong foundation for their future.”
The wetting ceremony’s proceedings were concluded with delicious boerewors rolls and soft drinks for the pupils as well as a Christmas performance by the children.. In May this year CCPB also supported seven ECDs in Zwelihle and Hawston to become compliant and register with the Western Cape Department of Education.
According to Urquhart these ECDs were falling short of compliance requirements and, critically, accessing funding available to operate as a much-needed community support service. A small team from CCPB, Newlands and Hermanus Rotary, and Enlighten Education Trust spent the rest of the day visiting four ECDs in Zwelihle and three in Hawston to hand over items required for compliance.
These facilities, which serve 225 children in total, were given items such as mattresses, first-aid kits, signage for the centres and fire-safety equipment.
It was then that the Sonstraaltjies roofing issue was highlighted and CCPB committed to funding this replacement.
“The commitment shown by our partners to funding this project highlights the importance of ensuring that early-childhood development centres can operate safely and effectively,” said Scholtz.
“We are now focused on raising the remaining R220 000 needed for the next phase of repairs, which will include new eaves, veranda ceilings, internal and external painting, and the replacement of facia boards.”
