Investing in the future of Chatsworth
Air Products believes in building long-term relationships with CSI beneficiaries, and the first projects completed at some of these schools included the installation of wash stations for pupils.
As part of its ongoing corporate social investment strategy in KZN, the team at Air Products hosted wellness days, adding a touch of class to their local school infrastructure projects.
This includes the unveiling of two infrastructure projects involving the refurbishment of roofs and bathrooms at Montford Primary School, as well as the painting of Arena Park Secondary School while renovating their bathrooms and roofs.
Two wendy houses were also donated to the latter institution. These buildings will be used as a sick bay and changing area for general workers. In celebrating the completion of these projects, Air Products also handed out lunch packs to the pupils of both schools.
The wellness days were initiated last year at the schools as an extension of the CSI projects. To date, wellness days have been hosted at Crestview Primary and Montford Primary School as well as at Arena Park Secondary.
The last wellness day will be at Highlands Primary School in March. All teachers were invited to the wellness day, which was in collaboration with the team from Magna Consulting. A registered nurse conducted blood pressure and cholesterol tests and a personal trainer provided advice on fitness and healthy eating.
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Chairperson of the Air Products CSI committee, Arthi Govender, said, “Stress and additional worries have an impact on a teacher’s ability to teach, motivate, and encourage pupils. Furthermore, looking after finances and providing for the future forms an essential part of overall well-being, and Magna Consulting’s team provides practical advice on financial planning. I also thank the teachers for their hard work and the role they play in the education of the youth. They are shaping the next generation of leaders, thinkers, creators, and innovators. We encourage them to keep going on the days when the challenges seem to be overwhelming.”
Last year, Crestview Primary School’s library was refurbished while the staff room at Highlands Primary received an upgrade. Both these schools also received computers for their libraries.
Air Products believes in building long-term relationships with CSI beneficiaries, and the first projects completed at some of these schools included the installation of wash stations for pupils. As both Crestview and Highlands Primary have younger pupils, they were included in the company’s national flagship project, Witness Happiness, which is aimed at improving the level of education at early childhood development (ECD) centres.
“Government schools in Chatsworth, like most other areas in KZN and the country, face a situation where they need to accommodate pupils from impoverished surrounding areas whose parents are not in a position to pay school fees. This places a huge amount of pressure on the schools to maintain the infrastructure, and the governing body and teachers often need to assist in finding sponsors for projects. At Air Products, we aim to make a difference in the lives of the teachers and learners and we trust that our assistance makes a difference,” concluded Govender.
