NMF Khazimula1
(Image: Robert Coutts)

Deep in the Underberg area of KwaZulu-Natal there was significant excitement among the teachers of Impendle's Khazimula Primary School, the area induna, the local chief and the school governing body chairperson on 31 July 2020 when the school got a new library.

The school lies in a very forgotten part of the Lower Lotheni valley. It is a simple school that longs for materials to boost the enthusiastic children's daily experiences. The school caters for children from Grade R to Grade 7.

NMF Khazimula2
(Image: Robert Coutts)

With Covid-19 restrictions the launch of the school's new Nelson Mandela library project library was a small affair, but it still caught the spirit of the whole community, who pitched in to build a solid foundation for the new library. Added to the excitement, sponsors donated additional new books, including an assortment of wonderful early-reading books and reference materials aimed at compensating for this year's sporadic school opening periods.

The primary sponsors are cyclists who took part in the joBerg2c mountain bike race. The event's organisers arranged additional masks, face shields and sanitizer galore for the school to use when it reopens.

With sincere thanks to the following people who made the launchpossible:

  • Pieter Bensch
  • Henk van Heerden
  • Elaine De Wit
  • Awie Coetzee
  • Charmaine Meyer
  • Craig Kingham
  • Craig Frankel
  • Alex and Caryn Foster
  • Jeannette McGill (Summits with a purpose campaign)
  • Saray Khumalo (Everest Summit campaign)
  • Mechell Chetty (Summits with a purpose campaign)
  • Mandela Bangle

Mrs Ignatia Dumakude, the principal, can’t wait for the pupils to return so they can share and use the stocked library resource with them all.