By KOPANO MONAHENG
PUPILS who live in disadvantaged communities are hungry for information and more knowledge.
This became evident when a brick library was opened officially at Nageng Primary School in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni on 7 September, just a day before World Literacy Day on 8 September.
About 1 000 pupils from the school will forever be thankful for what Danone Southern Africa and its partners have done for the school.
The leading food and beverage company
built the library from upcycled yoghurt tubes. The school has been around for more than 59 years now but without a proper library.
According to Nageng Primary School’s principal, Ephraim Monobe, they would convert a storage room into a library but that is history now.
The state-of-the-art library built from 1 million upcycled yoghurt tubes will accommodate not only pupils from their school but all the children living around the school area as well.
The structure is a first of its kind ever built in Mzansi.
The library was awarded to the school as part of NutriDay’s Tubs2Classrooms competition.
Leanne Kiezer, head of corporate affairs at Danone Southern Africa, said this would not have been possible without partnership.
“This launch today is proof that we can do things differently and work collaboratively to meet this challenge while protecting our planet, driving sustainability, and serving the community,” she said.
Leanne told Ezimtoti that one hundred schools in Gauteng collected yoghurt tubs but Nageng collected more than everyone.
The library is stocked with over 4 500 brand-new books, teaching aids, laptops, a projector, a screen, and furniture.
They also have one full-time librarian who opens doors from 7am-4pm weekdays and 8am – midday on a Saturday twice a month.
Leanne said that when they launched the Tubs2Classrooms campaign, they only had a dream of what this could mean for South African communities but seeing the results of a collective initiative and being able to leave a great footprint in the community and on the environment, reveals the real meaning behind why they do this.
“If waste is treated correctly and put into a recycling stream, it can be converted into something useful,” concluded Leanne.
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