Daggafontein Primary School was set up in April 2002 in disused mining buildings to serve the “informal settlement” or shanty town of Vukuzenzele about a half-hour’s drive from Johannesburg Airport. 15,000 residents live in 3,000 shacks in Vukuzenzele, and have been living there since 1994.
The local council has,
to date, done very little to alleviate the plight of
these people. There is no electricity, no sewerage,
no waste removal – and one tap from which to obtain
water. Most of the residents are unemployed and the
level of poverty is very high. Most of the adults have
a low level of education and few have any basic skills
training. Many people are living with HIV/AIDS. Many
parents have died, with the result that there are a
number of child-headed homes and children living with
relatives.
Two years ago the residents asked
for a school to be established to cater for the children and Daggafontein
was set up, helped mainly by the Anglican Parish of Springs whose
Rector is the Ven. Sharron Dinnie. The Department of Education refused
to register the school because, they said, the settlement’s future is uncertain. Because it is unregistered, the school has no financial assistance from the Government. There are currently 178 children enrolled in the school. There are seven teachers who receive only R300 (Approx €37)
per month. There are insufficient classrooms for the number of classes,
insufficient toilet facilities and insufficient lighting inside the
classrooms because there is no electricity. Despite the many challenges
facing the children, especially as a result of the ravages of HIV/AIDS,
they are always smiling and happy and anxious to learn.
The local Anglican Parish of Springs, together
with Rotary, local schools and individuals support the project in
various ways – e.g. supplying stationery, clothing, cleaning materials, bread for sandwiches, mealie meal, vegetables etc. Mothers from the settlement prepare the donated food and the children receive a cooked meal and sandwiches each day. There is hope that the land might be purchased and the school registered. But the money we sent - €3000 – has gone to increase teachers’ salaries
next year by R2-300 a month and this keeps them, teachers and children,
motivated and at the school.
Rathfarnham Parish sent a group of about 25 volunteer in July 2005. Parishioners in the Anglican Parish agreed to provide accommodation. Travel costs were self-financing and money donated by Parishioners and others was spent on building and educational materials. It was exciting and a great opportunity for some practical Christianity. Read Ted's Diary with accompanying photographs of the trip, the work and the people.
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