Newsroom

Coca-Cola Africa Foundation helps schools save precious water

03 February 2010

At many of South Africa’s needier schools, water leaks tend to be way down on a list of priorities that often includes pressing problems like a shortage of books and desks. Yet water is one of our most precious and most scarce necessities too – and Coca-Cola Africa Foundation in partnership with Coca-Cola South Africa, USAID and Coca-Cola Fortune is determined to help these schools save every drop.

Selected schools in previously disadvantaged areas in the provinces of Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape are all benefitting from a project that aims to tackle water-related issues like leaky plumbing, practical training and environmental awareness. These institutions tend to be characterised by poor facilities, energy and water wastage and a general neglect of plumbing fixtures. But now this dynamic partnership is successfully implementing programmes that are already making a positive difference.

Projects this year have included technical interventions in plumbing infrastructure, as well as valuable training of school caretakers in plumbing repairs and the education of learners in issues such as health and hygiene, water conservation and pollution.

At 58 schools in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (Gauteng) and 35 schools in Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (Eastern Cape), plumbing infrastructure has been assessed in preparation for future repairs.

Nkuthalo Primary School in Zwide, near Port Elizabeth, is one such school that recently had good reason to celebrate. Thanks to the School Leak Repair Project, broken toilets are now repaired and a drinking fountain was built for the school to offer fresh running water for thirsty learners to enjoy.

NMMM Mayor Nondumiso Maphazi added to the excitement as guest of honour at a special handover ceremony. Mayor Maphazi joined other VIP guests such as Sheree Shereni (Coca-Cola Africa Foundation), Mr Ashene (Department of Education), Wiseman Gqamane (Department of Water Affairs) and Thobekile Finger (USAID) in handing over this project to the school. And to crown it all, a group of smiling young learners showed not only their gratitude but also how much they had learned by performing a play about the importance of water and how to save it.