Consulting, training and software provider, IndigoCube has donated R47 000 to the Lerato Education Centre, in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg. The centre was established in 1999 as a development project for women and children by Sister Mary, of teaching order the Salesian Sisters, at the request of the community's Women's Committee, and is a registered non-profit organisation.
The money is part of an annual donation that IndigoCube has made for the past three years in line with its corporate social investment programme. The funds will be used to develop infrastructure and prepare the school for formal classification with the Department of Education.
"The money will be used to build a pre-fab hall that will serve the needs of our project in many ways," says Sister Mary. "Our centre lacks a larger venue that can be used for meetings of bigger groups like parents meetings and school assembly. We would also make the new hall available to the community for meetings, weddings and funerals."
The hall will also allow the centre to establish an after-school care centre where learners who have left the school can come to do their homework and get additional studying opportunities.
"IndigoCube helps organisations to build the skills of their IT employees," says Ziaan Hattingh, MD of IndigoCube. "We therefore understand the urgent need we have in this country to educate young people who can be developed into skilled professionals. Lerato Education Centre gives young children, who would otherwise have little chance of making it in life, the opportunity to do so. We encourage other companies to support educational initiatives like these as they make a critical contribution to the communities they serve."
The Lerato Education Centre caters for babies and children up to age 11, and operates a cr`eche and primary school that follows the Department of Education's prescribed syllabus. It employs 25 women, some of whom are qualified teachers and others who are in training. The centre gives two Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 classes, three Grade R classes, and provides care for one group of four-year-olds and two groups of babies.
"Our priorities for 2013 are to keep the centre going at our current capacity of 450 children and to pay salaries for our nearly 25 employees," adds Sister Mary. "Priority projects are the improvement of our playground facilities and to ensure we have running water."
Families in the community are offered financial assistance, clothing, blankets and other materials, as well as help with gaining grants, hospital visits and HIV/Aids counselling. The centre has also helped build 40 shacks during the past two years for the neediest families and children. Playgrounds have been established at the centre for soccer and netball, and they are used by various youth groups.
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