Sunshine Educare is situated in Wolwerivier settlement, a rural settlement located on the Old Mamre Road just off the N7 outside Melkbosstrand. The Xhosa name of “Umta Welanga” (When in a dark, cloudy sky, a ray of sunshine breaks through) best describes
Outside-classthis amazing facility which is an oasis of light in a place of darkness. It offers hope in a place that has none and a future in a place where no-one lives, everyone merely survives. The school originally started off in a desperately undersized shack with one tiny window where 70 children from 1 to 8 were huddled in one shared room. Soon, with the help of SAVE Foundation, we acquired a wendy house which allowed us to take the older kids out in a group to do educational activities while the babies and toddlers played. By 2014 we moved across to a cleared piece of land where SAVE and Killroy erected two beautiful classrooms. With lots of fundraising we managed to fence the school, build a cement pathway for the scooter bikes and plant grass for the little feet. As Skandaalkamp didn’t have any formal garbage removal, the entire settlement is riddled with burnt remains of shacks, broken glass, waste and many things that are NOT good for little feet. We wanted a safe place where the children could (for the first time in their lives) run barefoot without the fear and risk of broken glass and other hazards. The preschool stands out like a ray of light in a place of darkness – from the green lawn contrasted against the filthy soil of the settlement to the brightly coloured buildings contrasted against makeshift shacks erected using only scrap material. By the end of 2014, Killroy and SAVE generously added an additional 3 buildings. Two as new classrooms and 1 as a new restroom building where for the first time, the children can practice proper hygiene with toilets, hand basins and hand soap available at all times. The school also serves as a “community centre” and is used as a meeting place for community meetings, or meetings with external parties such as social workers, the local government, etc. It has become a symbol of hope and possibilities.
