Charlotte Maxeke High School in Tembisa has been renovated and spruced up thanks to the Integrated Facilities Management Company through their corporate social investment (CSI) non-profit organisation, Lesipho Trust.
A locally-based company, Servest, was appointed to do all the renovations.
Learners at the school will now eat food prepared in a clean and safe environment, and enjoy privacy and dignity as a result of this initiative.
The new project will also benefit local businesses including Bophele and Ditiro Trading.
Human resources director and Lesipho trustee Thuli Masuku said before the renovations, 1 500 learners were fed two meals a day from a container which had been converted to a kitchen.
“We appointed Servest, a locally-based community company to do all the work which included all the building and renovations on site.
“We removed the container that was used at the school and constructed a new kitchen complete with water reticulation system and electricity. Walls were broken down to create a bigger boardroom and an exam centre.
“The Trust was established in 2014 to manage Enterprise Development, Enterprise Supplier Development (ESD) and Socio-Economic Development funds.
“Its aim is to provide opportunities and economic advancement to qualifying black South Africans, enterprises and communities, enabling them to become self-reliant and sustainable, as well as to link enterprises to markets.
“We believe that the project is significant because it is an investment in education that will assist children needing help. We also believe the kitchen will play a supporting role to the objectives of the school,” said Masuku
Deputy principal Tikie Anna Semantle said the work done to the school by Servest exceeded their expectations.
“What Servest did for the school is beyond what we had imagined,” said Semantle.
She said this would go a long way towards improving safety and ensuring that the school complies with the health and safety standards.
