Naidoo Memorial Primary School in eMkhomazi was a recipient of a new water infrastructure system after winning a national water competition.
The school on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast was the national winner of the Woolworths Making the Difference educational programme’s water competition. The Woolies Water Fund stepped in to install water infrastructure at the school, which included the installation of two water tanks (20 000 litre capacity), upgraded roof gutters for better rainwater flow, and hand-washing stations and filtration systems.
In recognition of World Water Day in March, Woolworths invited schools to nominate their Woolies School Water Hero. Schools were asked to share their water-saving initiatives and stories with the winning school receiving a water storage infrastructure system with filtration and a hand-washing station. This year, 100 schools participated, and Naidoo Memorial Primary School won.
The school, established in January 1936, has frequently been left dry due to inconsistent municipal supply and its lack of storage capacity. The lack of water has inhibited the school’s mission to deliver high-quality education to the children of eMkhomazi.
Joseph Periah, the school's acting principal, said a consistent water source will enable their teaching and learning to continue uninterrupted and help them maintain their high standards of high-quality education.
"As part of our entry, we highlighted the water situation at the school through artwork and articles on the school's water conservation initiatives. By winning this competition we will now have a constant supply of clean drinking water. It will also help lower our school water bill as we are now harvesting rainwater, purifying it and channelling it to the taps and toilets," said Periah.
"Water scarcity has significantly impacted teaching and learning at our school. Prior to the installation of the rainwater tanks, we relied on intermittent municipal water supply, which often left us without water for extended periods. This affected our ability to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation standards. The rainwater tanks will be a game changer, providing a reliable source of clean water for our learners and staff. We are grateful for the support of the Woolworths MTD programme, which has made this possible," said Merushka Singh, a teacher at the school.
Illana Abrahams, Woolworths’ Making the Difference national operations manager, said the project was aimed at enhancing the learning environment and could help the school save on its water bill.
