Dambale village never had a Pre-School. Now three classrooms and a facility building are rising from the foundations on a piece of land the chief allocated for the toddlers and pre-schoolers of this rural village in Venda.
Several indigenous trees, like the beautiful Munee tree or Red Ivory (Berchemia Zeyheri) in the one corner of the yard, are preserved for shade and in the case of the Munee, for its edible, raison-like fruit ripening this time of the year.
It took a year to raise enough funds, a 1000 pounds that is, for the Dambale project which kicked off with a fence to keep the children safely inside. Since most carers soon start with a vegetable garden to feed and teach the kids, the fence also keeps village animals like goats and donkeys outside.
Building started in February 2021. The chief recommended a local builder, Mr Nelson Kwinda and he and his team made wonderful progress during the past two months, already being at roof-height with the block of classrooms.
Dambale Pre-School’s design is modeled on the successful prototype we built at Tshikuyu village. It is made up of three classrooms in the first block, which has a veranda for kids to sit in the shade. The three classrooms cater for three groups: toddlers, a middle group and the pre-school class.
The second block consists of a sheltered play area, a kitchen and a storeroom. Toilets for the kids and a toilet for the teachers are being built as well.
Another plus of the location of the site, is that it is in close proximity to the local Primary school so that older children can help walking their younger siblings to and from school.
In future we will need funds, or donations in kind, for:
- Climbing frames, slides and swings (About R30 000)
- Classroom Equipment: Tables, chairs, bowls and mugs, pots and pans for cooking food.
- Educational toys and teaching aids.
Thank you so much to the following sponsors for their generous contributions towards Dambale Pre-School, your support make such a difference to this rural community:
Heike Pander, Adrie El Mohamadi, Nathan Clemens, BaoBabes, EDUR Foundation, LATHER, Mediceuticals, Protec Botanica, Haielle, Tri-K Industries, Skoon.
