Willowton Group comes to the aid of damaged Eastwood Secondary School

Leading edible oil producer, Willowton Group, manufacturers of Sunfoil Pure Sunflower Oil and Sunshine D Margarine and Spreads, is reaching out to fellow Pietermaritzburg residents - the?Eastwood Secondary School and the communities that it serves - by assisting with the repair of classrooms that were severely damaged during severe weather just over six months ago.??

Operations Executive, Mohamed Ishfaaq Moosa said that Willowton Group had answered a plea for help from the school which no longer had sufficient classrooms for all its learners and was trying to accommodate them on a rotational basis.??

Building work on two of the six damaged buildings began at the end of June and is complete for the commencement of the third term in July. All asbestos roofing on the 2 buildings has been removed and a completely new roof installed so the children are not exposed to any asbestos-related health hazards.

“It is imperative that we invest in our children’s education as this will give them the opportunity of performing well for matric and accessing higher education and skills training initiatives.?Education is key to lifting people out of poverty and allowing them to access job and entrepreneurial opportunities.?We were very concerned that the learners were not attending school daily. Since they are in high school especially grades 11 and 12, they need quality education and for this to happen they need to be in school,” Mr Moosa explained.?

The total amount spent on the renovations at Eastwood Secondary School is R800?000.

The fact that education is very close to Willowton Group’s heart is evident in its contribution to several KZN schools. During 2021/2022, Willowton Group assisted?10 schools with the building of infrastructure and classrooms and helped more than 30 schools with funding for school fees and feeding programs.?

Mr Moosa said Willowton Group could not ignore the plight of the school after principal, Mr Keith Solomons, who was facing a very long wait for assistance from the KZN Department of Education which has been inundated with calls for help in the wake of widespread flooding throughout the province during the first half of 2022, appealed for help.?

According to Mr Solomons, on December 22, the?school and the surrounding area were hit by a destructive hailstorm. Large hailstones made enormous holes in the already fragile asbestos roofs of six buildings (23 classrooms, four HoD offices, one administrative office block and the female learner toilets).?

The ongoing heavy summer rains from then onwards led to the collapse of ceilings and total exposure of the mould-infested aerolite insulation and asbestos which posed a serious health hazard to learners, educators and staff. The ongoing rain also damaged all desks and chairs in the broken buildings, leaving staff and educators to work from their vehicles and learners without facilities.?

The Department of Education covered roofs with tarpaulins to prevent further damage and provided 16 mobile classrooms which enabled the school to continue teaching on a rotational basis.?

Mr Solomon said that learners lost out on a lot of teaching and learning time this year and completion of the curriculum remained a serious challenge.?As a result, Eastwood Secondary School is extremely grateful for the assistance from Willowton Group to repair two teaching blocks?(a single storey and the middle teaching block) as it would?provide an additional 10?classrooms.

Mzwandile Goge, Ward 34 Business Network Convener, Imbumba for Social Change Founder, and?Eastwood resident said “ in December 2021 a bad storm hit the school severely damaging the asbestos cement roof,??windows, and the gutters.??When the school opened for the first term, they were challenged to operate.??The Department of Education indicated they would fix the school before the end of the first term but by the middle of the second term they had not started.”

“We approached the Willowton Group for support to assist the school by sponsoring repairs.??Willowton Group executives met with Mr Solomon, and a decision was made to refurbish 10 classrooms.??The refurbished classrooms will allow the whole school to return at full capacity on a day-to-day basis in the third term” continued Mr Goge.

“As a community member, I am grateful to the Willowton Group because Eastwood High School services more than just ward 34.??It serves 1?500 students coming from all over Pietermaritzburg as well as, as far as Hammarsdale and Howick.”

Where the department of education has delayed fixing the school, Willowton Group’s generosity has allowed for education in our community to continue.??We can confidentially say the school will return to normal.

Roy Ram, Counsellor for the Eastwood area is grateful to the Willowton Group for helping the school and hopes that the company will continue to assist when there are future crises.

Eastwood Secondary School opened in 1983 and is situated in the suburb of Eastwood on the North-East side of Pietermaritzburg. Although it started with just grades 8 and 9 and served what was regarded as the coloured community at the time, it has evolved into a school that caters for all other grades with over 1?000 learners.?Because it serves several disadvantaged areas, including our informal settlements, the school has struggled with funding, especially during Covid-19.?

It is the only?secondary school in the area and plays a valuable role in the surrounding communities.