When Jim Mvabaza Senior Secondary in Twecu, Tsholomnqa, was handed back to the community on Monday, it symbolised restoration, hope and dignity.
There was excitement, joy and ululation from parents clothed in traditional umbhaco, while teachers and pupils celebrated..
With rugby rooted in the pupils’ hearts, they passed a ball from one to another.
Pupils had been praying for the day to see their school’s standards enhanced.
They made it clear they wanted to make both their teachers and Springbok star Makazole Mapimpi proud.
Many felt it was surreal to think Mapimpi had attended the school and lived in the village. This proved their dreams and aspirations were valid.
After the school’s block of classes was destroyed by harsh weather, and with the roof missing, pupils had to move to a Twecu Primary school building which had shut its doors due to low numbers.
The revelation of its appalling conditions came after a documentary about the Bok rugby wing was filmed in 2020, during Covid-19.
Teachers eager to keep lessons flowing for the children moved to the abandoned primary school in the village.
But there were difficulties in harsh weather there, too, all of which negatively affected pupils’ achievements.
Principal Mzamo Kolongwana told the Dispatch that on cold and wet days classes would be cancelled because the roof leaked.
He would let the pupils go home after they had received their meals at the school.
Teachers found the loss of academic time heart-wrenching.
There was a feeling that the education authorities did not have a sense of urgency about fixing the problems.
Businesses were touched by Mapimpi’s story, which represented resilience, hope and inspiration.
For a rural child, getting an education is often their only hope for a better life and a chance to change the trajectory of their lives.
Retroviral Digital Communications chief creative officer Mike Sharman was interested in the province’s rugby talent.
Sharman pitched an idea to Ryobi Tools, and said Mapimpi represented a perfect example of someone who would not quit.
In 2023 Ryobi and Buco headed a successful R1.4m project to fix the original school building, helping change the pupils’ lives and to make them more comfortable while they studied.
Mapimpi’s cousin and school governing body treasurer, Ntombomzi Mapimpi, was the bridge between the businesses and the school, and worked tirelessly to ensure that the community benefited.
Emotional while delivering her speech at the reopening of the school, she described the pain of seeing children studying under harsh conditions.
Businesses are changing the narrative, through building libraries, schools and any necessary structures, providing the tools to help ensure pupils excel.
Even though there is still a long way to go, the school hopes to get businesses to sponsor it further so they can build an admin block and create a rugby field for future stars.
DispatchLIVE
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