Volkswagen volunteers help uplift and renovate Soweto School
Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) employees and their loved ones joined hands on Saturday to uplift and renovate the Tshilidzi Primary School in Soweto. This Primary School that boasts South Africa’s current President, Cyril Ramaphosa as part of its alumni, is in desperate need of a revamp. Situated in the heart of Soweto, the school has 665 learners from Grade R to Grade 7.
Tshilidzi Primary School was one of the first schools to be adopted by the Adopt a School Foundation, chaired at the time by Cyril Ramaphosa, almost ten years ago. Since then this school has not received much attention. The Show of Hands Employee Volunteer Programme therefore decided that a much needed upgrade to the Grade R classrooms and playground, sickbed room and the schools vegetable garden was required.
VWSA employees assisted with repurposing furniture, changing classroom layouts and painting interior and exterior walls. The sick room was repainted and suplied with new linen. As part of leaving a lasting legacy, a new vegetable tunnel was created and stocked with seedlings, with a catchment water tank installed to assit with watering. “Our Show of Hands Volunteer programme continues to improve the lives and education of those less fortunate – one school at a time,” said Nonkqubela Maliza, Director: Corporate and Government Affairs: Volkswagen Group South Africa.
Over 160 VWSA Employees and their loved ones gave of their time and skills to upgrading the facilities at the school.
Many factors contribute to a healthy learning environment and nutrition is one of them. VWSA volunteers therefore also collaborated with Rise Against Hunger and packed 25 000 meal packages to supplement the school’s feeding programme. Bringing the total meals packed by VWSA volunteers to 50 000 for 2018.
The Volkswagen Show of Hands Volunteer Programme, which is an ongoing initiative under the Volkswagen for Good campaign, runs these volunteer projects. The Volkswagen for Good campaign focuses mainly on education and youth development, primarily promoting functional literacy at the foundation phase.
“I have to thank all the volunteers that were here today that gave of their personal time to paint, pack and plant. I am very proud to be a part of this great company. It reminds me of how great the Volkswagen family is!” concluded Nonkqubela Maliza.