Post: Arxada honours the legacy of Mandela by creating a welcoming environment for the Vulingqondo Crèche

October 9, 2023

Arxada honours the legacy of Mandela by creating a welcoming environment for the Vulingqondo Crèche

To honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, Arxada staff spent their 67 minutes making the Vulingqondo Crèche a warm, safe and welcoming environment.
During the school holidays, Arxada tackled the task of repairing the deteriorated thatched roof so that the children and teachers could return to a safer classroom at the start of the new term.
Since 2007, Arxada has been involved in many different projects which have been instrumental in developing the Crèche from a basic rural establishment into a flourishing school.

Port Shepstone, South Africa, 31 August 2023

In the spirit of the Mandela Day theme “It’s in your hands to make our world a better one for all”, Arxada staff rolled up their sleeves to do a top-to-bottom spring clean at the Vulingqondo Crèche. The Crèche, which is situated in the rural community of Bethania in KwaZulu-Natal, plays a vital role in the development of the community and the children identify it as a place of security and happiness.

With little financial resources for general repairs and maintenance, the 40-year-old humble structure needed some TLC. The children and teachers were delighted with the playground clean-up, freshly cut grass and repairs to the jungle gym to ensure it is structurally sound. New hooks were hung in the classrooms for the children to hang their bags and new doors were fitted in the bathrooms.

“Mandela Day is an opportunity for us to recognise our individual power to change the world for the better through the small part we play in helping the Crèche provide access to education for vulnerable children,” said JJ du Plessis, senior regional sales manager for Arxada, trading as Arch Wood Protection South Africa.

Every day a Mandela Day

Earlier in the year, restoration work was done on the school’s deteriorated thatched roof. Not only was rain pouring into the classrooms, but there was also the threat of the roof collapsing. With safety and sustainable construction front of mind, Arxada set about repairing the roof during the school holiday so that the children and teachers could return to a safer classroom at the start of the new term.

Besides thatch being one of the most sustainable roofing materials available, it also acts as a natural insulator to keep the children warm in winter and cool in summer. For rural schools like Vulingqondo Crèche, this is an important benefit for creating an environment conducive to learning.

Since 2007, Arxada has been involved in many different projects which have been instrumental in developing the Crèche from a basic rural establishment into a flourishing school. In addition to supplying the essential learning tools, the company also aided the Crèche in becoming self-sustaining by planting a vegetable garden.

“It has taken years of being a responsible neighbour to reach this point and being able to contribute towards the education of these remarkable learners has humbled us every step of the way,” concluded du Plessis.