An Overport, Durban, special needs school desperate for additional classroom space to beter align
its learners with their abilities and developmental levels has been presented with three mobile
classrooms and an ablution facility, collectively valued at R600 000.
The recent donation was made by the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT), overcoming a
major challenge faced by the IBN Masud Centre of Excellence, established in 2008 to provide support
for families of learners with special needs within the local community. The IBN Centre of Excellence
was founded by the Al Ansaar Foundation and is administered by the Foundation.
Commenting on its classroom and ablutions sponsorship, SAMCT representative, Mr Gaff Osman,
said: “This school fills a vital niche, providing a crucial educational facility which caters for learners
with special needs.”
“However, as it has evolved and learner needs have grown, it has become increasingly apparent that
space was developing into a major challenge. However, without the financial muscle to effect
change, the school was forced to make do with a progressively inadequate classroom situation. It
rapidly became obvious that existing classroom facilities were extremely restrictive, hindering
learners with sensory avoidance and auditory or visual sensitivities. A need was quickly identified for
space to incorporate sensory integration which would allow learners to beter learn and develop
skills.”
“The school also lacked private spaces for therapists to conduct therapy and to consult with parents
or other caregivers in terms of addressing their children’s development or the sharing of sensitive
information.”
IBN Masud Centre of Excellence provides special needs education to learners from Overport,
Sherwood, Asherville, the Durban CBD, lsipingo and Bonella and has diversified its special needs
focus to also include remedial education.
Recognising the school’s classrooms challenge and the negative effect this was having on the
learners in its care, the SAMCT was quick to offer assistance, funding three new mobile classrooms
and an ablution facility, appropriate for the unique requirements and needs of children atending
IBN Masud Centre of Excellence.
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. The
organisation provides 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 organisations in the fields of
healthcare, social development, poverty alleviation and education.
Mr Osman stressed: “There is a great and growing need to promote education and guidance at every
level in South African society and to assist in the development of individuals, no mater the economic
backgrounds or learning abilities of our youth, in the quest to equip them to meet the challenges of
modern society. In this regard, the IBN Masud Centre of Excellence, and its special needs services, is
doing exceptional work, preparing those its charge for the outside world. Accordingly, we of the
SAMCT, are privileged to have been in the position to further enhance its educational activities with
the donation of the three new classrooms.”
The special needs categories provided by the school include autism spectrum disorder, spastic
cerebral palsy, speech and language delays, processing and cognitive impairments, down syndrome
and LSEN.
For more information about the SAMCT or its IBN Masud Centre of Excellence classrooms and
ablutions donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za