1. SPONSORED FEATURE
A
DOZEN under-resourced
schools in KwaZulu-Natal are
now the proud recipients of
brand new comprehensive maths and
science kits – equipment that will not
only benefit current pupils and teachers
but will have an impact further into the
future of SouthAfrica.
The extraordinary donation was
thanks to Umgeni Water, which
partnered with Pinetown-based
Edutrade for the initiative.
The symbolic handover of the kits
took place at Umgeni Water’s head
office boardroom in Pietermaritzburg
on Monday, and was attended by
representatives from the 12 schools as
well as Edutrade and Umgeni Water
delegates.
The schools areAmakholwa
Secondary, Brettenwood High,
Dingizwe High, Siyahlomula High,
Ukukhanyakwezwe Secondary,
Umlazi Secondary, Bangibizo Primary,
Mpumelelo Primary, Mqhathi Primary,
Table Mountain Primary, Umlazi
Junior Primary and Woodlands
Primary.
Welcoming the guests, Shami
Harichunder, Umgeni Water’s
Corporate Stakeholder Manager, said
the science and maths kit project had
been “a long time in the planning”.
“Our greatest wish is that these
schools put these valuable resources to
good use – that they are used to help
children better understand the sciences,
and that this translates into better exam
results.
“Many schools are under-resourced
in SouthAfrica, and while these kits
will not eradicate the backlog, they will
help in some tangible way to improve
the understanding of science and maths
among children.”
Umgeni Water CE Cyril Gamede,
an engineer who is president of the
Engineering Council of SouthAfrica
and also chairman of the University of
Zululand, said, “Every successful
nation has a basis of science as a
precursor to that success.Against the
rest of the world, SouthAfrica
compares poorly in maths and science,
and we have to improve these statistics,
starting from primary level.You can’t
just intervene in matric.”
To create more engineers for the
future, the pass rate in science and
maths needed to increase. That
cannot be done only from high school
level, he added.
“These science and maths
resources will help make a difference.
If more companies became involved in
a small way, as Umgeni Water has, it
could make a difference and have a
ripple effect.”
He said the kits were an excellent
starting point for the future. “Science is
quite an abstract subject. Take
magnesium. Many people don’t have a
clue what it is, but now that these
children and their teachers have these
kits, they can see for themselves what
magnesium is. They can carry out
experiments with the chemicals
provided, and actually see what they
are learning about.”
Edutrade’s Nareshini Ranganthan
commended Umgeni Water on its
initiative, saying they were thrilled to
partner the facility “on such a beautiful
project”.
“The schools we have chosen,
while some are more needy than
others, all share the same passion to
improve the quality of their maths and
science teaching and their exam marks.
Chalk and talk is limited – today,
learning has to be hands-on to make a
difference.
“Matric level is too late to make a
difference, so we looked at primary and
secondary school level when we
planned this project. Maths and science
marks and understanding cannot be
done in just one phase.You have to
start from Grades 4 to 7, to establish a
solid foundation, and continue that
through Grades 8 and 9. So when
pupils have to choose their subjects
they will have a decent foundation in
maths and science and hopefully, this
will decrease the drop out rate.”
To make this happen, the resource
kits have been distributed to both
primary and secondary/high schools, to
ensure continuity.
Teachers will be fully trained in the
use of the kits, and will be expected to
provide feedback along the way.
NIRASHA Sampson, Manager in
the Office of the Chief Executive
said the water utility received
numerous requests for help, but one
of the simplest pleas had touched
their hearts. “Aschool had asked us
for plastic bottles for chemicals.”
When Umgeni Water turned 40
last year, CE Cyril Gamede, an
engineer who is passionate about the
sciences, had determined that as a
celebration of the organisation’s
birthday, the utility would focus on
providing some sustainable
educational solutions for children
and their futures.
“The request for water bottles
was the catalyst – and these 12
resource sets will hopefully work as
solid building blocks. The recipient
schools have varying levels of
resources and equipment, but the
passion shown by the teachers and
the children is impressive.”
Alist of schools was drawn up
and they were all thoroughly
assessed before being shortlisted,
she added. “The handover doesn’t
end here. Progress reports will be
made every six months, and the
teachers will be trained in the use of
the kits and the chemicals, for
instance, so we can make sure they
are totally familiar with everything
and fully understand the equipment
and what they are working with.”
The materials within the
resource kits, for instance chemicals,
are sufficient for at least three years.
Schools can order stocks from
Edutrade to replenish the kits when
needed.
The kits are aligned with the
national curriculum.
IN 2012, Umgeni Water made a
decision to adopt a structured approach
in its corporate social investment. It
turned its focus to helping improve the
quality of education in needy areas and
schools, women empowerment and
job creation – and through those,
improving the quality of life of people
living in the Umgeni Water operational
area.
Through numerous projects and
sponsorships, it has done just that,
including rehabilitating and improving
infrastructure at needy schools (for
example water and sanitation, and
upgrading of laboratories).
It has also provided financial
assistance to an organisation that
provides equipment for cataract
surgery for people in disadvantaged
areas.
One of Umgeni Water’s main areas
of focus, however, has been on
education, and through various
channels, improving the conditions
under which thousands of children are
forced to study.
Shami Harichunder, Umgeni
Water’s Corporate Stakeholder
Manager, said: “We are convinced that
our contribution will assist these
children – and other recipients – to
enhance the conditions in which they
are currenty studying.”
Sustainable job creation is also a
CSI priority. Umgeni Water has
assisted a group of people from
Maphephethwa, Inanda, in
establishing a co-op. The organisation
has provided funding to the members
of the co-op to establish a micro-
business that will manufacture
concrete products, among them, bricks
and blocks that will be sold the the
local community for construction of
houses. In this way, Umgeni Water has
contributed to the creation of
sustainable jobs and income.
Another similar initiative involves
supporting the establishment of a small
poultry farming home industries
project.
Successful community
engagement is a critical success factor
for Umgeni Water during water supply
infrastructure construction, and
involves communities participating in
the identification, definition, and joint
solution-seeking with other
stakeholders in issues affecting their
surroundings. Successful management
of this has resulted in a foundation of
trust being built with community
stakeholders.
This, along with Umgeni Water’s
focus on sustainable projects, as
opposed to “one-offs”, is a priority of
its social responsibility programme –
an example being Imvutshane Dam,
which it recently built outside Stanger.
“Our legacy to that community
was the establishment of a soccer field
– we also established food gardens for
the community.”
Harichunder said the donation of
the maths and science kits to the 12
needy schools reflected the seriousness
with which Umgeni Water regards its
social responsibility – and the
importance of education and learning.
“Science has an extremely
important place in our country, and we
want to ensure that by getting
involved, forming partnerships with
schools, improving and enhancing the
manner in which science is studied and
communicated to pupils, they have a
better understanding of the subjects.”
SCHOOL SCIENCE KITSSCHOOL SCIENCE KITS
UMGENI WATER DONATES
LEARNING AIDS TO NEEDY SCHOOLS
Seen at the Umgeni Water Science kit handover to schools are (back row) Thobile Cele, Thobile Makhunga and Nareshini Ranganthan of Edutrade, Cyril Gamede (Chief Executive of Umgeni Water), Doctor Ngema, A Mensah, Victor Duma, Ndumisa Dlamini and Wellington Sikhosana. Front row:
VDJ Khamyile, Melusi Khena, Mdumiseni Ndlovu, Siphiwe Mbongwa, Neil Tommy and Felix Duma.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Shami Harichunder, Umgeni Water’s Corporate Stakeholder Manager.
40th anniversary gift
to KZN’s children
Cyril Gamede, Chief Executive of Umgeni Water.
Nirasha Sampson, Manager in the Office of the Chief Executive.
Umgeni Water Chief Executive, Cyril Gamede presents Mdumiseni Ndlovu with
Siyahlomula High School’s science resources handover certificate.
Wellington Sikhosana (right) receives Dingizwe High School’s handover certificate from
Cyril Gamede.
Neil Tommy (left) and Dino Naidoo (right) of Woodlands Primary School with Umgeni Water Chief Executive,
Cyril Gamede.