The risk of serious injury to learners and teachers at an aged and disadvantaged Clairwood, Durban,
school has been averted, the result of a recent R240 000 donation of new windows and frames by
the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT).
Commenting at the official hand-over of the new windows, installed throughout the 76-year-old
South Coast Madressa School, SAMCT representative, Mr Gaf Osman said: “Of particular concern
were the school’s many and extremely old-fashioned windows and frames which, as a consequence
of their age, mechanism and extreme deterioration had become a danger and a severe safety risk to
everyone associated with the school.”
“This was a situation the South African Muslim Charitable Trust, upon hearing of the school’s
financial plight, simply could not ignore. Our objective was to immediately intervene before the
occurrence of a serious accident befalling staff or learners.”
This is a school which has suffered an unhappy history, with its 1946 establishment rooted in the
apartheid era and the neglect this brought. Some 76 years later, the school still continues to serve
the residents of Clairwood and its environs, but has continued lacking attention by the authorities to
its aged infrastructure since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
Mr Osman added: “In spite of the parlous state of the school structure and the fact that the majority
of its 540 learners come from disadvantaged backgrounds, the school continues to be a centre of
academic excellence, testimony to the absolute dedication of the school’s management and staff,
the learners’ desire for knowledge and a constructive partnership between parents, learners and
educators here.”
“This combination has led to the school’s ability to continue preparing its learners for responsible
and constructive adulthood and active participation in and contribution to the economy of this
country – in spite of the extremely difficult conditions under which teachers and learners are forced
to work here.”
He hoped the SAMCT’s intervention would ‘go some way’ toward the school’s necessary restoration
activities.
“I trust this will make the imparting and absorption of knowledge a little easier for teachers and
learners alike,” Mr Osman said.
The SAMCT, created in 2008, was specifically established to provide funding, services and other
resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged. In this
regard, it has successfully delivered significant solutions throughout the country, irrespective of race
or religion and works to support needy organisations in the fields of health, social development,
poverty alleviation and education.
“Our organisation was delighted and very keen to make available new windows throughout the
school, providing R240 000 to ensure the installation of modern, workable and – above all – safe
glazing and frames. The transformation has not only made the windows safe and operable, but has
also significantly impacted on the visual appearance of this educational institution, thus improving
the public image it portrays to visitors and the parents of prospective new learners.”
“It is our hope that the transformation will assist the school continue being a beacon of hope and
dignity for all those who pass through its classes now and into the future,” Mr Osman concluded.
For more information about SAMCT or its South Coast Madressa School windows donation, please
contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za