67 Minutes in the Name of Madiba - Umgeni Water

Brooklyn Heights Primary Warmed byUmgeni Water’s EffortsBoard member, Visvin Reddy, donated 67 minutes of histime to Brooklyn Heights Primary School in Chatsworth.Brooklyn Heights Primary School is located in the MadibaInformal settlement in Chatsworth.A large number of the school’s 750 learners come from extremelyimpoverished homes. The school relies on the generosity of thecommunity and business to provide meals to the children. UmgeniWater sponsored 750 lunch packs and 750 winter hats to the pupilsof the school. The Principal, Mr S. Moonsamy, stated that he wasoverwhelmed by the gratitude of Umgeni Water and was thankfulthat his school was chosen for this initiative.Umgeni Water changes lives of childrenattending 2 Creches in Ugu DistrictThe Mhlonhlweni Creche is 15 minutes away inland from Umkomaas.The crèche is based in a deeply rural area. The access road tothe crèche is mainly gravel. This area does not have proper accessto basic services such as electricity and water. The communityreceives water that is delivered either once a week or once every 2weeks via a Tanker. The children attending the creche are from theMjundu, Vulindlela and Ngwadini areas.The crèche accommodates 52 kids, whose ages range from afew months to 5 years. There are 4 caregivers on site. The facilityreceives a subsidy from the Department of Social Development.Each child is subsidized to an amount of R15 per day which equatesto a total of R15 600.00 per month. Most of the budget allocationis utilised for food, the remaining amount is used for salaries andequipment.Umgeni Water’s Executive and staff gave their time and personalfunds to refurbish the crèche building and to provide furniture andequipment that were desperately needed. The entire crèche andplayground equipment received a new coat of paint. Amongst theitems donated, the children were most thankful for the chairs andtables. The children were also treated to Macdonald Happy Meals.Nompucuko Mlaba, supervisor of the crèche, expressedgratitude to the staff of Umgeni Water for their hard workand donations that the crèche had received. She went onto state that the contribution would have a positive impacton the work that the crèche was doing in relation to earlychildhood development.Chief Executive, Cyril Gamede, said he was proud to be partof Umgeni Water as much had been done to improve thelives of the children attending the crèche, and he requestedthat the staff present should be involved in projects of asimilar nature so that many more people could be assistedin a similar manner.Ikhayelihle EducareIkhaelihle Educare crèche is situated near Scottsburgh, approximately5 kms from N2 Freeway. The crèche is situated in an urban area,thus has access to both electricity and water supply. A total of 43children attend the facility. The age group of the children is 2-6 years.A subsidy is received from the Department of Social Development,which amounts to R12 900. This amount barely covers the food,salaries and equipment that is required for the crèche.The facility was provided with mattresses, toys and linoleumsheeting. The building and playground equipment were given a freshcoat of paint. The Mayor of Umdoni Local Municipality, CouncillorSSI Khwela, was present at the handover ceremony. He thankedthe management and staff of Umgeni Water for their generosity.Chief Executive, Cyril Gamede, expressed his appreciation to thesupervisor and her staff for the work that was being done for thechildren in the area and stated that he was pleased that UmgeniWater could assist them in this endeavour.Senior Citizens receive the royal treatment fromUmgeni WaterStaff members from Engineering & Scientific Services andInformation & Communication Technology spent their 67minutes at the Aryan Benevolent Old Age Home in Northdale,Pietermartizburg. The facility is home to 32 frail senior citizens.A large number of these residents have been abandoned by theirfamilies.Savouries of all kinds were prepared and shared with the residents.Groceries were also purchased for use by the home. Staff ofUmgeni Water were humbled by their interaction with residentswho were filled with much excitement and gratitude for the lovethat they had been shown.ConclusionNelson Mandela once mentioned that “Deep down inevery human heart, there is mercy and generosity”. Thesesentiments certainly hold true in relation to the mannerwhich Umgeni Water heeded the call to action in order touplift the lives of communities during Nelson Mandela Day.Water for Growth and Sustainable Development

Water for Growth and Sustainable Development