New WCs for Concordia kids
Peggy Dlephu is slowly engraving her initials on Knysna’s DNA while becoming increasingly involved in the building of its real foundations – the children.
Dlephu, of Peggy’s Arts and Tours, who boasts the George Business Chamber’s 2015 entrepreneur of the year award, is no stranger to lending a hand where needed – she runs a feeding scheme that caters for about 80 people twice weekly.
The businesswoman is currently working on a project to rebuild a preschool from scratch in Concordia as well as introducing well-needed facilities for the children at Siphuncedo kindergarten just down the road – such as two recently added toilets. An official ceremony celebrating the opening of the facilities was held last Friday 5 October.
But the toilets have not just been welcomed as a means to facilitate healthy young constitutions. Teachers Yoliswa Mzili and Amanda Gxangati say they have been operating at the premises without proper facilities since 2016 and that not having these in place meant they couldn’t apply for funding, as toilets and running water are a prerequisite to acquiring funds. Both expressed their gratitude to Peggy and her sponsors.
Liyabona Mtuse, one of the children at the school described the new toilets as “very pretty”.
Peggy calls the venture her “love project”. “We always put so much pressure on our children, we want them to be smarter, but I think if we don’t create a conducive environment for them to reach the full potential we are failing them, and for me this is where it begins.”
She says it would be impossible for her to assist her community without partnerships and sponsors.
“I can never thank Amazing Africa Tours for believing in my vision and we should always pull all stops for our children – they are the future after all.”