Johannesburg, 26 Mar 2014
Brother International South Africa (Pty) Ltd. (Brother International SA) , a leader in home and business IT peripherals worldwide, recently completed a social investment project at the Olievenhoutbosch Christian School situated in the Olievenhoutbosch township north of Johannesburg. The project, in conjunction with Moeggesukkel, involved structural improvements to the school buildings and supplying new school track suits to all the students.
Brother International SA was introduced to the school through Moeggesukkel, a non-profit organisation focused on identifying areas of need and providing a support structure to overcome the challenges faced in our South African society.
On a rainy day in March, delegates from Brother Industries and Brother International Japan Corporation, which are group companies of Brother International SA, visited the Olievenhoutbosch Christian School to see the improvements and meet the students. Significant structural improvements were made to the buildings and included the installation of whirly birds to all the classrooms to provide ventilation during the summer months when temperatures reach in excess of 40 degrees. The classrooms were also all painted lighter colours inside to assist in cooling.
The existing concrete slab and roof were extended to create a much larger covered area for group gatherings. A palisade fence was erected around the school buildings for additional security and new grass was laid for the netball field with the intention to extend the grassing to the entire play area. New signboards were also erected in the school grounds.
The school, in Extension 26 Olievenhoutbosch, receives no government funding and relies solely on donations and corporate investment projects such as this one to continue operating on a daily basis. "These donations are vital for the basic requirements such as electricity, school books and allowing the school to provide a meal to each child during the day," says headmistress Ria Wessels.
The school caters to 166 students in Grade R to Grade 4 who live nearby and can walk to school every day for classes and aftercare. With an average class size in the area of up to 60 students per teacher, Olievenhoutbosch is fortunate to have 12 teachers, allowing for smaller classes and more focused learning. The children start school at 07:45 and can stay for aftercare until 17:00. Teachers help with homework, sport and music in the afternoons. "Most of our children come from broken or child headed homes so our approach to education here is a holistic one. Through donations, we try to send food and clothing packages home to alleviate some of the basic challenges," continues Wessels.
In addition to the structural improvements, Brother has also committed to sending two teachers on a Grade R training course to develop the teaching skills at the school.
After a rousing welcome, the students presented the visitors with drawings and gifts and treated them to a song called Bambelena, which means Hold on to Jesus, sung in English, Afrikaans and Zulu.
"We look forward to being involved with such a worthwhile project and following their development in the coming years. Sustainable development is what it is all about and that is one of the core values at Brother," concluded Dale de Villiers, marketing manager of Brother South Africa.
As a corporate citizen, the Brother Group wishes to demonstrate values that represent the "At your side." concept through the world. We are therefore various social contribution activities in order to meet the needs of local communities around the globe.
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