Schauenburg Systems, as part of the Schauenburg International-Africa Group, believes in the sustainable development of previously disadvantaged individuals and communities in South Africa.
This year the company approached Cresslawn Primary School to assist them with their skills development needs. After discussions with the school principal, Marilyn Louw, Schauenburg agreed to assist the school with a project for children with severe intellectual disabilities.
Schauenburg Systems fully funded the building of two classrooms. The project was initiated in July and the classrooms were completed at the end of November.
The finished structure consists of two fully equipped classrooms with adequate storage space, as well as a central bathroom, which will save the children from walking to another part of the school.
Many of Cresslawn’s learners come from Tembisa. In the past eight years the school has been able to start three classes for learners with special education needs. The school has also accepted children who have severe intellectual disabilities (SID). They currently have nine such children and were approached by the district office of the Gauteng Department of Education about the possibility of starting an SID class.
This is a first for any primary school. The biggest need for the school was to have classrooms built to accommodate these learners, and this is where Schauenburg Systems stepped up to the plate to provide the much-needed facilities.
Chantal Churchill, corporate communications manager at Schauenburg expressed her thoughts regarding the project. “We were very privileged to be able to establish two classrooms for these children with special needs. It’s a sustainable project that will provide children in our community with the most valuable asset they can acquire, namely a good education.”
Dieter Kovar, CEO of the Schauenburg International-Africa Group said: “Education and training is one of the most important pillars in our company policy. I regard it as an obligation of our management towards our staff. By building these classrooms for the school, which is only 2km away from our manufacturing facility and head office, we can further improve the community in which our organisation operates.”
