Cape Town - Following a devastating fire, culminating in the loss of an immeasurable literary resource – its library – Bread Line Africa and GrandWest jointly gifted Elnor Primary School a prefabricated library.
GrandWest put up R287 000 and Bread Line Africa R25 000 towards assisting Elnor Primary, a 63-year-old, no-fee elementary school with more than 750 learners, in Elsies River.
Five of the school’s classrooms burnt down and what was previously the library had to be converted into a classroom.
The 30m² library was erected at the end of the 2021 school year, with a handover taking place before the learners left for their summer holiday.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to GrandWest and Breadline Africa for blessing our school with a brand new, fully-fitted library. We believe that having a school library is integral to the teaching and learning process as it it enhances personal development in young children and promotes curiosity, innovation and critical thinking,” principal Mark Agulhas said.
“In addition, it endorses desirable study habits and offers children a safe space in a community riddled with violence and anti-social activities.
“We are incredibly grateful to these companies for their generosity and investment into the Elnor community, and excited to see our shared objectives of community upliftment to fruition,” Agulhas said.
GrandWest general manager Mervyn Naidoo said: “Having an easily accessible and well-resourced library is an important source of knowledge for young minds. It also helps to develop the important habit of reading among learners.”
GrandWest has spent more than R141 million on social enterprise development and corporate investment projects since opening in 2000.