Supporting the local community in Africa

Following an employee Painting Day earlier this year, our teams in Africa collaborated to donate a hand-painted sea container filled with more than 700 donated books to a primary school in Cape Town, as part of an effort to support the local community.

We considered a number of schools as a home for the project, but after an arson-instigated fire caused devastation to a large part of Athlone North Primary School’s infrastructure, its students and teachers were the clear choice. The school’s 579 learners had been stranded without access to books and other vital resources since the school library, as well as a classroom and minor hall, were destroyed in March.

Local artist Izak Volgraff led the team to decorate the 12-metre container, which was also fitted with shelving, an interactive carpet, curtains, a fan, a chair for the teacher on duty, and 30 handmade pillows for learners to sit on while they read. We stocked the library with books and employees also donated games and toys as an extra touch.

Handing over the container to the school, OUP South Africa Managing Director Steve Cilliers commented: ’Having access to books and resources found in a library is critical to a child’s development. We are delighted to be donating the container library to Athlone North Primary.’

We would like to thank those who helped to make this project happen, including AAD Trucks who sponsored the transportation of the container; Builders Warehouse Tokai who assisted with carpeting; Crazy Chairs Woodstock who assisted with the chair; and Mia Grobler who personally made the pillows.