Domboni Preschool was started by Mavis Tshiwela with to support the early childhood development of the children in her village of Domboni. A tiny (3 x 3 meter) room is all she had which did not have a roof, windows or door. In 2023 the Baobab Foundation helped her fix up the room and build toilets for the children and teachers. And in August 2024 a fence was put around the school to keep the goats and village dogs out.
With the support of Skoon Skincare and Unrooted Drinks three classrooms are currently being built for the children. This will allow the original room to be converted to a storeroom and office and the three classrooms to accommodate different age groups of children from the village.
In November last year (2025) the Baobab Foundation and Mavis Tshiwela started to build three new classrooms for the Domboni Community Preschool.
We designed the new classrooms to be large enough to take up to 20 children per room. All the classrooms are connected with a deep veranda. Along outside wall of the classrooms under the veranda, we build in a bench so that the children can sit on the veranda between classes and parents waiting for the children can wait in the shade.
The classrooms have been painted in the “signatory” preschool colours of blue, yellow and red. The old classroom as well as the toilets were also given a coat of paint.
We included gutters and water tanks to catch rainwater for washing hands and food dishes.
Now that the preschool building has been competed it needs to be equipped with tables, chairs, matrasses, toys etc.
Thomas laying bricks on the foundations of the new classrooms in December 2025
Classrooms still under construction in January 2026
Water tanks to catch rainfall
Sarah Venter and Mavis Tshiwela (Principal) standing in front of the complete preschool
