Containers turned into creche for Dakota
The area, which boasts in excess of 600 shacks, has no creche.
Residents of Dakota Beach informal settlement can rest easier knowing their young ones are being properly looked after while they are at work.
The area, which boasts in excess of 600 shacks, has no creche and mothers have to leave their toddlers at home alone while they go to work. Often the older children cannot go to school as they are tasked with looking after the younger ones.
Where there are no older siblings, one guardian routinely checks up on the toddlers or babies left in the shacks.
This is a dire situation, compounded by the possibility of shack fires. Dakota Beach has suffered three such fires in the last three years. In the most recent, a seven-year-old died.
PR councillor for Isipingo, Jaco Pienaar was instrumental in getting Conlog in Durban to donate two 12-metre long refurbished shipping containers at a cost of R80,000 to start a creche in the area.
The company staff also held a month-long drive to collect educational toys for the new creche, and will furnish the containers with solar-powered lighting and an inverter.
The creche has been named Lindokuhle, after the little boy, Lindokuhle Myeza who died in the fire.
Newly inducted eThekwini South Lions president, Margaret Haus has adopted the furnishing of the creche as her first project.
“We also want to get an awning donated to cover the gap between the containers, plant trees, erect swings and jungle gyms, and fence the area,” said Jaco and Margaret at the site when the containers were placed on a slab donated by WK Construction on Friday, 18 July.
“It will also be nice to put in a kitchen, so the children can receive a meal at school.
We thank Conlog for its donations and the community is quite happy with what we can achieve with help from this company. Hopefully the community will adopt the school, care for it and run it.”
The containers will be subdivided to house four classrooms and can also be used as a community centre and a church at night.
To donate, contact Lions PRO Mandy Roux on 083-651-3476.
