A disused and vandalised school at KwaMgendwa, near Amanzimtoti, has been give a new lease of
life as an effective early childhood development centre following an investment injection of
R466 000 for the construction of new ablution facilities and the renovation of existing classrooms.
The South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) was responsible for the funding donation and
development work. Commenting at an event to celebrate the official hand-over of the new facilities,
SAMCT representative, Mr Shabir Chohan, said of Philangezwi ECD centre owner, Mrs Gladys Zondi:
“Such was Mrs Zondi’s passion for providing a place of learning for local children that she took on an
incredibly daunting task. She relocated her centre to a disused school; one which had been closed by
the Government in 2005 and left to be vandalised.”
Philangezwi ECD was originally established as a home-based early childhood educational centre by
Mrs Zondi in 2017. However, rapidly increasing enrolments quickly led to the need for bigger
premises, with nowhere to which to relocate other than a disused school and its crumbling
infrastructure.
“Conditions were appalling, but an unswerving dedication to the education of others saw Mrs Zondi
dip into her personal savings and take a loan in 2018 in a valiant effort to renovate the centre’s new
home. Sadly, her stout effort led to the repair of only two classrooms and one toilet by 2019 and her
funding shortage was to then become even more difficult to work around as the COVID-19 pandemic
struck in early 2020, rendering many parents of children in her charge unable to pay fees,” Mr
Chohan said.
Mrs Zondi’s resolve would not, however, be bowed.
He added: “She resolutely continued providing quality child care and development activities in the
face of the rapidly crumbling and collapsing infrastructure surrounding her. There are those who
might argue that all that matters is the quality of the teaching and that the space one occupies does
not matter; that the physical space is secondary. Mrs Zondi does not agree with this school of
thought, given that there exists empiric evidence that learning spaces in good condition are decisive
for learners to achieve expected academic outcomes. Educational infrastructure – classrooms,
ablutions, water storage facilities and equipment – are crucial elements of the learning
environment.”
There is strong support for the fact that good-quality infrastructure facilitates better instruction,
improves student outcomes and reduces both absenteeism and dropout rates, among other
benefits.
Mr Chohan stressed: “Mrs Zondi has long-recognised this, giving rise to her continued determination
to change things at Philangezwi ECD for the better; for the better of staff, her learners and parents.
She is unequivocal in her desire to ensure a mix of superior early childhood education – thus ensuring
youngsters reach their true cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential – with improved
infrastructure – so giving rise to an environment conducive to both teaching and learning.”
“Regrettably, as with so many under-resourced South African schools and centres, such as
Philangezwi ECD, the development and maintenance of infrastructure is simply not financially
possible.”
He said that from the outset, Philangezwi ECD had been committed to the provision of sound
education in spite of the plethora of seemingly insurmountable financial challenges.
“For that, the organisation should be congratulated. It has proved time and time again that it’s
challenges are mere distractions to its real purpose and desire – sound education. However, such
distractions cannot be ignored indefinitely and we, of the SAMCT, upon learning of Philangezwi
ECD’s infrastructural difficulties opted to intercede to create that optimal environment for learning.
Our donation of R466 000 has ensured the development of new toilet facilities and the total
renovation of existing classrooms at the centre,” he said.
The SAMCT, which was created in 2008, was established to provide funding, services and other
resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged. It has
successfully delivered sizeable assistance solutions throughout the country, irrespective of race or
religion and works to support needy organisations in the fields of social development, poverty
alleviation, education and health.
Mr Chohan hoped that the developments undertaken would enable the care and development of
many more young learners from the surrounding community.
“Members of the KwaMgendwa community should come to know that in Mrs Zondi they have an
educationist with great ability, extreme determination and a big caring heart… this is someone who
has the very best educational interests of her young charges at heart,” Mr Chohan concluded.
For more information about SAMCT
donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za