Off-grid oasis of learning in struggling community
THE new Hangberg Pre-Primary School in Hout Bay is not just an educational oasis for the struggling community, it’s eco-friendly, generating its own power through solar panels for the school, and more.
“We are completely off the city’s (electricity) grid, and we actually give back to the grid, because we don’t use much electricity,” said principal Karen Temlett about the ecofriendly, self-sustaining qualities of the school that officially opened on January 20.
Construction of the R5.7 million school – comprising four classrooms catering for 106 children up to 6 years old from Grade 0 to Grade R – was initiated by local NGO Hangberg Educational Trust (HET) and funded by Cape Town’s German-speaking Rotary Club Am Kap.
At the school’s opening, club president Friedrich Schaefer said SolarWorld Africa donated the solar system that produces more power than the school needs, enabling it to feed the excess electricity into the neighbouring Sentinel Primary School.
SolarWorld Africa managing director Gregor Kupper said: “It is an honour to contribute to a facility that promises to uplift the lives of young people in this community, and what a way for children and the community to see the positive effects of renewable energy first hand!”
The system includes 18 SolarWorld 255 Mono solar modules and the mounting structure that had been installed by OneSolar company, who donated the solar inverters, Schaefer said.
Temlett, said it was making a huge impact on the lives of non-schoolgoing-age children, who now had a secure place providing them with a good education and a beacon of hope for the community.
She said they also hoped to start an aftercare facility next month.
HET founding member Marquerithe Schreuder said Hangberg provided high quality education that would make a huge difference to the lives of those children and families.
She described the Hangberg community as riddled with socio-economic challenges, and a tale of a poor fishing community of approximately 8 000 people exposed to a socially volatile environment with high levels of unemployment and crime.
Alcoholism and substance abuse are rife with many children being in need of direction and care, she said.
The departments of Education and Transport and Public Works supported Hangberg Pre-Primary’s construction, with Education MEC Debbie Schäfer and Transport and Public works MEC Donald Grant attending its opening.