On Friday, 17 February 2023, Sasria handed over the much-needed ablution block and a borehole at the Hlahlindlela Secondary School in KwaNgcolosi, KwaZulu-Natal. The community of KwaNgcolosi are beneficiaries of Sasria’s COVID-19 Relief Programmes. KwaNgcolosi is under 40 kilometres from Durban.
Through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme, Sasria has funded the provision of Social Welfare, Curriculum and Infrastructure projects in North West, Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal as part of the COVID-19 Relief Programmes.
Tshepiso Chocho, Sasria’s Executive for People Management said: “The effects and impact of Covid 19 continue to be felt even now. Hence as Sasria, through our mission of supporting education in our country, we continue to support schools through various interventions including the COVID-19 Relief Programmes that help to restore the dignity of learners and educators, and improve the learning conditions of learners, ultimately enhancing learning outcomes.”
Inadequate sanitation facilities and chronic shortage of water supply are a major challenge in many schools in South Africa, especially in the rural areas. Sasria’s decision to approve the construction of ablution facilities at Hlahlindlela Secondary as well as the erection of a borehole to ensure sustainability of water supply was not about expanding the CSI budget – it was about being true to Sasria’s mandate to contribute meaningfully to education by bringing dignity to learners and educators.
Chocho concluded: “It is often said that water is life, water means cleanliness, hygiene, hydration. When there is no water, you cannot do anything. Therefore, we are pleased that we could respond to the needs of the learners and educators at Hlahlindlela Secondary with ablution facilities and a borehole. We believe learning is wholistic, it is difficult for learners to concentrate in class when their environment is waterless and unhygienic.”