When the school bell rang on 15 September at Ndima Primary School in Mamelodi, learners rushed to their chairs and desks in newly-built and spacious classrooms for the start of an unforgettable day in the school’s history. The construction of these 7m x 7950mm classrooms with aluminium windows and vinyl flooring was made possible by a grant from Ford Motor Company Fund, the automaker’s philanthropic arm. The donation is part of Ford Fund’s efforts to provide assistance to local communities around the world coping with pandemic-related issues.
Due to insufficient space in the previous facilities at Ndima Primary, learners from Grade R were unable to attend school on a daily basis because of the current social distancing laws. To mitigate this overcrowding, learners were divided into smaller groups and as a result would only attend one week of school per month.
The school, which was first established in 1962 as Bohlabatsatsi Primary School, was then relocated to its current location, Mamelodi West, where it offers subjects in the area’s home language of isiZulu and Sepedi. Despite some challenging times, the school has achieved the highest position in Economic Management Sciences in Tshwane South and continues to strive for even better results.
The school’s principal, Enock Senoamadi, confirmed that the new classrooms had arrived at just the right time and would allow the school to return to its normal capacity and routine while still making sure that all learners were given enough space for safe social distancing. Each classroom can accommodate 30 children and has been designed to include a chalkboard and a noticeboard.
“Thank you for your generous gift, we are thrilled to have your support,” said Senoamadi. “Nelson Mandela once said education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Through your donation we will be able to accomplish this goal. We have been struggling with overcrowding. Before these new classrooms were built there could be up to 60 learners in a class, and this is not a good environment for teaching or learning. The new classrooms have allowed us to give every learner an equal opportunity and complete a much fuller school curriculum,” concludes Senoamadi.
Ford South Africa’s Dhiren Vanmali, Director of Sales Operations was delighted to see the learners’ reaction to the new classrooms and believes that they strongly align with the ‘Ford for South Africa’ campaign which was launched last year. “At the heart of the campaign is a commitment to ensuring a brighter future for all through a range of community upliftment programmes,” says Vanmali. “One of these key areas is rooted in education which has come under increasing pressure during COVID-19. Ford continues to invest in the youth to help the country grow economically while making a real difference in peoples’ lives.”
The new classrooms are the latest example of how Ford Fund is providing critical assistance to local communities during the global pandemic. Ford Fund has invested millions of U.S. dollars to assist nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations in their efforts to address hunger relief, support educational initiatives, provide access to mobility and meet housing, health or other urgent needs in countries around the world – including South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Romania, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and more. In addition, Ford Fund’s COVID-19 Donation Match program raised more than $1.13 million USD to support relief efforts of 47 community organizations in 20 countries and 14 U.S. states.
