State-of-art library and IT centre to help uplift pupils
Pupils from the impoverished Sea Vista community in Humansdorp will soon be enjoying a multimillion rand boost to their education with a stateof-the-art library and IT centre scheduled to be completed in September.
The R4-million facility is being built by the Kouga Wind Farm as part of its Social Economic Development (SED) programme.
The programme is aimed at uplifting the surrounding communities through a basket of promises made to local residents upon the wind farm’s establishment in 2015.
Kouga Wind Farm made the announcement of the library’s opening at their Global Wind Day celebrations on Friday.
The company’s community liaison officer, Trevor Arosi, said pupils were eagerly awaiting the opening.
“The Sea Vista community is very isolated, with little to no community facilities for the people, and particularly pupils.
“The only schools are in Humansdorp, with the pupils being transported back and forth,” Arosi said.
“The problem is that with scholar transport, pupils leave class and get straight on the bus back to their areas, where they have no access to books, the internet or teaching.”
He said a library provided pupils with material they needed, as well as a sanctuary to study, which most did not have at home.
“When we started operations in 2015, as part of our licensing agreement, we approached the communities in our region and asked what they needed. And the library was one of the top priorities.
“Following the start of construction in September last year, and with residents now beginning to see the structure take shape, as well as the announcement that it’s still on track to be completed in September – it has brought about a lot of excitement.”
Mzingisi Primary School Grade 4 pupil Xanthi Bashman, 12, said he looked forward to being computer literate.
“I can’t wait to do research on a computer and learn how to use it properly.
“It will also help to improve my marks because I will have more books to get information from,” Bashman said.
“My friends and I usually spend the time after school playing soccer. But I think we will all be spending even more time together but in the library, not playing in the street.”
Bashman was echoed by his classmate Zikhona Masheka, 11, who said: “The library will help everyone in our community, not only the children . . .
“And we will never be able to say we are bored, we will just go and read.”
The SED programme’s flagship project saw the rebuilding of Nkqubela Creche in 2016 in KwaNomzamo, near Humansdorp, at a cost of R2.2-million, after it was burnt to the ground three years prior.
The crèche provides essential pre-school education for more than 100 disadvantaged children between the ages of one and five years.
‘[We asked people] what they needed. The library was one of the top priorities’ Trevor Arosi KOUGA WIND FARM COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICER