A local non-profit organisation (NPO) is currently running a fundraising campaign with the intention of renovating the grade R playground of a school in Jamestown.
The organisation, Ranyaka Community Transformation (Ranyaka), launched the campaign in collaboration with Nedbank and Weber Gedenk Primary School (WGPS) on 14 June, according to Amy Levendal, stakeholder and relationship manager at Ranyaka.
The campaign, called Wikkel vir Weber, aims to raise funds for the renovation of the school’s playground over the next two months, said Levendal.
The grade R playground at Weber Gedenk Primary School (WGPS) is meant to be a space in which the school’s 64 grade R learners can learn and play. However, time and weather have caused damage to the structures in the playground, making it unsafe for use by the learners, according to Jardine Jappie, the principal of WGPS. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
“We have the park that learners are supposed to play in. It’s unable to be used by learners, because it’s a safety risk,” said Jardine Jappie, the principal of WGPS. “[T]he materials used are mostly wood, so of course, time and weather have done their part towards spoiling everything.”
Jardine Jappie, the principal of Weber Gedenk Primary School, talks about the ways in which the renovation of the grade R playground will benefit the learners and the school.
The campaign has received a R30 000 contribution from Nedbank, as well as a R2 000 donation from a member of the Jamestown community, according to Levendal. The organisers are collecting physical items — such as cement, paint and tyres — as well as financial contributions, she added.
“The biggest thing for us financially is the fence,” said Levendal. “According to [school] regulations, the grade R park needs to be cordoned off from the rest of the area. There has to be a fence around the park, so that the bigger kids can’t come in.”
One of the main goals of the fundraising campaign for Weber Gedenk Primary School’s grade R playground, is to replace the fence around the play area. The fence is intended to ensure the safety of the grade R learners, according to Amy Levendal, stakeholder and relationship manager at Ranyaka. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
The campaign was initiated by Purdey September, an office administrator at Ranyaka and former WGPS employee. “I worked at the [school] computer labs for three years, and I was always very heartsore to see that the park was deteriorating,” said September. “So eventually in 2019, when I started with Ranyaka, I pitched the [fundraising] idea.”
Community involvement
The organisers of the fundraising campaign aim to involve members of the Jamestown community in the initiative, according to Levendal.
“The whole aim of this campaign is to get the community together. I think it’s very important, because if the community does this together, there’s a sort of ownership that goes with that,” said Levendal.
Amy Levendal, stakeholder and relationship manager at Ranyaka Community Transformation, talks about the value of involving the Jamestown community in the fundraising efforts for the renovation of Weber Gedenk Primary School’s grade R playground.
The organisers of the Wikkel vir Weber fundraising campaign, which aims to raise funds for the renovation of Weber Gedenk Primary School’s grade R playground, include Amy Levendal (left), stakeholder and relationship manager at Ranyaka Community Transformation (Ranyaka), and Purdey September (right), office administrator at Ranyaka. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
A series of fundraising events were planned for June and July with the intention of facilitating community engagement, including a Zumba session on 26 June and a Walk for Weber fundraising hike on 3 July.
However, due to level 4 Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, these events have been postponed, according to Levendal. The new dates for these fundraisers, as well as two others — a braai challenge and a spekboom-planting initiative — have yet to be confirmed, she said.
“All Covid protocols will be adhered to — sanitisation stations, etc. Events are all outdoors,” said Levendal, on the safety measures that will be instituted at fundraising events. “The braai challenge will be everyone braaing at their own house. You’ll have to pay around R50 to participate, and then we’ll get a few people to sponsor prizes for the winning person.”
The organisers of the Wikkel vir Weber fundraising campaign, who are raising funds to renovate Weber Gedenk Primary School’s grade R playground, aim to involve members of the Jamestown community in a series of fundraising events over the next two months. These events will include a braai challenge and a spekboom-planting initiative, according to Amy Levendal, stakeholder and relationship manager at Ranyaka Community Transformation. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp