Eskom lends helping hand to Mapela preschools

WitRivier Educare and Stirum preschool are registered non-profit organisations (NPOs) established in 2005 and 1986 respectively at Mapela (Rauwele and Millenium villages) in the Waterberg District Municipality in Limpopo. The preschools aim to take care of farmworkers’ and local community members’ children by providing a suitable environment for early childhood development activities that stimulate language, learning and creativity.

The preschools used to operate in shacks, but now Eskom has rebuilt them and educational toys were donated toys have been bought to the value of R60 000 for each preschool, and they will were handed over to the community. The purpose of this donation of schools is to give back to the local community in which Eskom operates and to support the vision of universal access to education for all.  Eskom has built a new 400 kV and 132 kV substations (Borutho project) next to where the preschools are located.

At the handover celebration, Hilton Rampedi, the Customer Relations Manager said, this was not a donation but an investment. He encouraged the community members to support the Borutho project so that Eskom could continue to electrify new households. He also appealed to the community to ensure that these two buildings and educational toys were well taken care of.

Marcus Lengwate, Programme Manager of Borutho said the economic growth of our country depend on Eskom’s ability to supply reliable source of energy. Eskom can achieve this with the support and collaboration with community members’ within which projects are executed. Mapela community members were very privileged because since Eskom had started with the construction of the Borutho project on 9 January 2013, it had hired a local bus service (3 x 65 seaters) to transport the community members that commute to work; it had subcontracted a local company to construct cattle grid fencing; and community cooks to open a market to sell their food to local employees. Eskom has further donated food parcels and school uniforms to Millennium Primary School.

Chief Masebe Langa appreciated Eskom’s efforts toward the promised Eskom that the community members will support the progress of the Borutho project.

Eskom encourages its customer to report illegal connections by sending an anonymous sms to 32211.