Two donated mobile classrooms, valued at R450 000, are set to transform the lives of severely
disadvantaged young people atending Nonto Primary School at Tyhusha, King Williams Town,
primary school thanks to the recent intervention of the South African Muslim Charitable Trust
(SAMCT).
Established in 1974, Nonto Primary School’s classes are overcrowded and the educational institution
now faces the double blow of increasing learner placement demand and having to accommodate
learners set to be displaced by the imminent closure of a neighbouring school.
Commenting on the SAMCT’s donation of additional mobile classrooms, organisational
representative, Mr Gaff Osman, said: “Nonto Primary School is doing incredible work in this
especially depressed and under-served area, providing for the educational needs of the community,
while facing the daunting challenge of accommodating additional learners, displaced by another
school’s closure.”
“However, the provision of appropriate infrastructure to meet the growing demand for space at the
school has simply proved a financial challenge it has been unable to meet.”
He stressed: “Our country’s youngsters deserve every educational and developmental opportunity,
regardless of their socio-economic circumstances and the efforts being made by this severely under-
resourced school, in the face of significantly increased demands on it to serve greater numbers of
learners, is most laudable, but simply not sustainable without additional classroom space.”
“Given the need for facilities to assist the school and those it serves, the SAMCT was pleased to have
been in the position to contribute to its cause by sponsoring two required mobile classrooms. The
move will assist significantly in improving the quality of teaching-learning at the educational
institution.”
Nonto Primary School former Principal, Ms Masala Ntomboxolo, said of the donation: “We thank the
kind donors for the wonderful work they have done at Nonto Primary School, following a previous
atempt at intimidation, instituted by a small sector of the community, which set our school back.
Pleasingly, all our learners are now safely accommodated in classrooms conducive to both teaching
and learning. We are now able to widen our catchment area to include various regions and thank
God Almighty that our dream has finally come to fruition. For many years we pleaded in vain to the
Department for assistance, only for the SAMCT to become our school’s saviour. I would also thank
Councillor Masiki Yolanda, for making available the equipment necessary for levelling the land.”
The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al
Baraka Bank, for the creation, marketing, and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds.
This has ensured that the SAMCT is the beneficiary of this Shariah suite of funds, enabling it to
provide funding, services and other resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable,
deprived and disadvantaged.
It has been singularly successful in delivering sizeable assistance solutions throughout South Africa –
irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy organizations in the fields of
social development, poverty alleviation, education, and healthcare.
Mr Osman said: “The SAMCT was privileged to be able to partner with a school which so clearly
recognises the importance of education and the need to accommodate soon-to-be displaced
learners.”
“It is our hope now that Nonto Primary School’s educational activities will be given increased
impetus as a consequence of having access to the new infrastructural facilities we have provided.”