A DROP IN THE BUCKET SCHOOL

Tshokolo Primary School

Thank you for joining the A Drop in the Bucket program! Here you will find background information on the school for which you will be fund-raising. Tšhokolo Primary School is located in Madile Village in Acornhoek. The village is in a deeply rural area and the school currently has 320 learners enrolled. More than half of the learners are orphans, relying greatly on social grants and are the primary caretakers for younger siblings. Absenteeism is a constant struggle for the school as most learners do not have adult supervision. Learners also struggle to buy and obtain school uniforms.

The school lacks a reliable source of water and basic, vital infrastructure. Your donations will be applied towards these needs, and will help make this a more vibrant learning center. Imagine for a moment, attending a school at which you can’t easily get a drink of water at the fountain, or that doesn’t have a modern kitchen! The learners at Ntsoelemolodi are excited to know that their counterparts in the United States are interested in helping bring water to their school.

NEEDS

The school does not have a reliable source of clean water and and relied on a community borehole until it broke. For the past five years learners and faculty have been responsible for bringing bottles of water to school. The lack of clean water leaves students vulnerable to poor health conditions both at home and at school and they lack basic resources they need to learn and grow.

With a borehole, the school will be able to have a thriving garden and maximize the use of the garden by feeding learners, and bringing learners into the garden to learn about food systems.

The school has flush toilets but they are not functional due to the lack of water; with this, the school relies on pit toilets.

The school has a feeding scheme where learners are given a meal once a day. The school’s kitchen is in disrepair and workers struggle to use the space for meal prep.

There is a garden and learners care for it even during holidays, learners bring bottles of water to the garden to help keep crops alive.

SOLUTIONS

Drill a borehole and supply the necessary piping and equipment needed for hand washing, cooking, drinking and irrigation.

Install enviromentally sustainable, waterless Enviro-Loo toilets to help conserve water and immediately improve the hygiene of students.

Develop the garden as a year-round permaculture vegetable and fruit garden once there is water to irrigate and provide instruction to the staff and community.

Improve kitchen infrastructure.