Peermont Trust revamps school library in Daveyton
After giving the library a new look, restocking and cataloguing the books and providing other necessary equipment, the Trust unveiled the reading centre on Wednesday morning, July 26, once the learners had returned from their school holidays.
As part of its Nelson Mandela Day project this year, the Peermont Community Benefit Trust (PCBT), a CSI initiative supported by Emperors Palace, revamped the library at Ntsikana Primary School, which is considered to be one of the top performing primary schools in Daveyton.
After giving the library a new look, restocking and cataloguing the books and providing other necessary equipment, the Trust unveiled the reading centre on Wednesday morning, July 26, once the learners had returned from their school holidays.
To celebrate the occasion all the staff and learners of the school were given food packs for lunch, which were happily distributed by Trust and Emperors Palace staff members like Aubrey Mathonse of Tembisa. The PCBT trustees and employees of Emperors Palace and Peermont gave 67 minutes of their time to work in the newly revamped library. They also provided the school with a wide range of books to promote literacy. Mandela Day commemorates the sacrifices made by former statesman Nelson Mandela, and aims to promote change by uplifting those who are less fortunate.
In South Africa, poor literacy is responsible for the inadequate education of hundreds of learners. According to research from Stellenbosch University, for every 100 students who started school 12 years ago, only 48 reach matric.
“Youth development is one of the cornerstones of the South African National Development Plan, and a central pillar of Peermont’s community development efforts,” says Tshidi Madima, PCBT Chair.
“Being able to enhance the learning experience for school children at the grassroots level is a privilege for us, and vital in nurturing the next generation of leaders.”
Ntsikana Primary was founded in 1985 with limited resources, but is now considered to be one of the top performing primary schools in Daveyton. The school has converted two classrooms into a library and is working closely with the local community library to ensure collaboration during upliftment programmes, such as the annual Readathon, ‘Spelling Bee’ and ‘Mental Maths’ competitions.
As Mandela Day occured during the school holidays, the trustees returned to the school on 26 July, to unveil the library officially in the presence of all the learners. Learners also received a lunch pack sponsored by Eurest.
The PCBT sponsors many other programmes, including a comprehensive Grade R programme, the Lesedi Scarce Skills Programme, which offers young people from Ekurhuleni the opportunity to complete trades, and The Peermont Hotel School, which gives young people access to the hospitality industry to alleviate poverty. It is expected to benefit over 1,000 candidates over 3 years, offering the industry internationally recognised City and Guild certificates.
