Foundation adopts Lwaphungu Secondary School to “turn it around”

GrowSA Foundation pledges to build classes at school where pupils learn under trees

The Village Voice

The conditions of some classes being held under trees at Lwaphungu Secondary School in Tshiungani village in the Musina Local Municipality may be a thing of the past after a foundation came forward to adopt the school for the purposes of bringing about structural development.

The GrowSA Foundation on Thursday held a meeting with the school governing body and made a request to adopt the school.

GrowSA chairperson  Justice Mphaphuli on Thursday led a team from the foundation and their partners MR21, an insurance company to go to the school and met the school governing body, the management and the local traditional leadership in discussions over the foundation’s intention to intervene at the school.

This was after Mphaphuli, a wellknown agent for developing communities learnt of the despicable state of the school.

“I am from Thohoyandou, very far from here, and when I saw the conditions of the school in the social media, I felt I should come and make an intervention,” said Mphaphuli.

He pledged to build two blocks of four class rooms each in two phases, starting from the first semester of next year.

In his presentation, the relationship with the school would also flow into the building of the admin block and the sports complex in the school.

Ï we work together, nothing would be difficult, “said Mphaphuli who assured the school that the adoption of the school only involved bringing about infrastructure development and there would be interference in any other matter.

Mr Nkhentheni Tshibalo, the school’s governing body   chairman said the school embraced the foundation’s idea to develop the school.

He said they were ready to work with the foundation to improve the conditions at the school.

“When you are hungry, and someone brings you food, you can never say no, “he said.

He said for years they approached different would be investors to come to the school but they were rejected.

“Some of them did not even acknowledge receipt of our letters while many others rejected us, but GrowSA just approached us and we are excited, “he said.

He added that the fact that they will start building in the first semester which is just around the corner has excited him the more.

Except for the poor state of infrastructure the school is running well under principal Phundulu Nditsheni and has 856 learners.

Mphaphuli is not a stranger to developing communities.

Some years ago Mphaphuli was a hit with university students.

He had formed Educomsa which was a pillar to disadvantaged learners, assisting them with tertiary registration fees, giving out uniforms and motivational talks in many schools in Vhembe.