U Bumbano Pre School
Inspiration
On visiting the school we were struck by the hope and happiness of the children and the dedication of the teachers, despite the surrounding despair and deprivation.
The potential of these children is unlimited but sadly the funding is not and any donations of money, clothes, blankets and books will enrich their lives.
Umbumbano is truly a ray of hope in a society where there is little to hope for.
Background
The school is located on the outskirts of the poorest area of Port Elizabeth (within the Greater Nelson Mandela Metropole) - The Red Location. It was founded in 1998 by seven unemployed women who realized there was a desperate need to provide a safe environment for young children; many of whom were orphans and spending their days unsupervised and with little or no food.
A once derelict building, now functions as a creche for 85 children in the area. Despite the desperate state of the building - rotten floors, broken window panes and missing ceilings - the sense of warmth and love in the school is tangible. Children's voices ring out in laughter and the smell of 'roesterkoek' (bread) cooked over a simple paraffin fire pervades the building. For most of the children this will be their only meal of the day.
Ubumbano school
Ubumbano - old playground
Thando Moli (the head teacher) and her band of volunteers are dedicated to ultimately making the building the headquarters for a greater community project to rescue the entire community from despair and deprivation. The Umbumbano Community project is now a registered Trust (Reg.No.1470/2000). While the long term goal is to improve the lives of everyone in the community - the short term plan is to offer the children a caring, nurturing environment where they can receive an education. The word 'bumbano' is Xhosa for unity - Not only significant of the unity of these courageous women but of the unity they hope to bring about in their downcast community.
Thando Moli and head teachers
Ubumbano Community Project
We would like to see the dream of these incredibly courageous women become a reality.
Our objective is to raise funds to facilitate a monthly grant of R10,000.
Objectives
- To secure a monthly grant of R20,000
- To increase the monthly grocery budget to allow protein to be introduced into the children's diets
- To increase the number of children at the school
- To purchase educational equipment and teaching aids
- To provide teacher's with a constant income
- To repair and secure the existing building (painting, tiling, carpeting, ceilings, fencing etc). This will link up with the current plans involving local business sponsorship
Achievements
- Provided monthly funding to the school over past 4 years
- Helping equip and fund a soup kitchen for the greater community of the Red Location
- Assisting with the Sponsor a Child program
- Extensive building renovations (ceilings, doors, painting, windows), erected secure fencing around the premises, security gates on classrooms, carpeting and tiling classrooms
- Added teaching aids and educational toys
- New playground facilities i.e. climbing frame, sandpit, tricycles
- Assisting the school to establish a community centre for the greater good of the community. i.e. weaving, sewing and bead work
Take a look at photographs of our achievements with the gallery.
About the Location
The Red Location is one of the poorest areas of Port Elizabeth (within the Greater Nelson Mandela Metropole) and indeed in the Eastern Cape. It is estimated to have a population of 5,000 to 8,000 people, of which 85% are unemployed and illiterate. The main social problems are extreme poverty, alcohol abuse, crime, malnutrition and disease such as Tuberculosis and HIV/Aids. Many of the children are in the sole care of grandparents where both parents have died or disappeared. Often entire families rely on the welfare or pension payment of a single person for survival. As many as four families live in a single dwelling with up to twelve people in a room. There is no sanitation, electricity or running water. The residents are forced to rely on bucket toilets and a communal tap.
A general view of the Red Location, home to the children of U Bumbano Pre Primary school
An illustration of one of the dwellings that up to 12 people live in.
Project Leads
Sarah Vine-Morris (South Africa) 011-4473323
Euan Nicholl (South Africa) 041-3662115
Pictures of U Bumbano
Click here to view photographs of U Bumbano Pre School
Brighter Futures South Africa was registered as a charity by the Charity Commission for England and Wales on the 6th May 2004 - Registered Charity No.1103629. We are also recognised by the Inland Revenue as a charity for tax purposes - reference number XR78448.