Heukile Senior Primary School is in the Cofimvaba District, Eastern Cape; with the nearest major town, Queenstown, located 100km away. Yet the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) reached this little village to bring hope to the inhabitants on 05 February 2016 when the school was officially handed over to the community. Built at a cost of just over R11 million, and at a time when the country is ravaged by drought, Heukile was also equipped with 16 rain water harvesting tanks, decent sanitation and all the add-ons that have come to be associated with an ASIDI school. On the other side of the valley is Mtingwevu Primary School, built at a cost of R18 million.

Following the official handover of Westfluer Primary School in Atlantis, Cape Town, on 25 November 2015, the Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Mr Enver Surty, also handed over Parkview Primary School in Atlantis to the community on 10 February 2016. Built at a cost of R63 million, Parkview Primary School forms part of the R8.2-billion programme to eradicate schools built from inappropriate materials.

Accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Zou Kota-Fredericks, Deputy Minister Surty stressed the importance of education and the contribution made by ASIDI to restore dignity to the rural and urban under-privileged saying, “It cannot be emphasised enough that basic education should be seen as a primary driver of transformation in South Africa. In fact, basic education is an important lever for communities to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.’’

Built at a cost of R35 million, Parkview Primary School boasts a fully equipped computer laboratory, a resource centre, a multipurpose centre, a Grade R centre and a total of 21 classrooms.

“It is our obligation (as parents and Government) to guard against failing those who are most vulnerable, our children,” Deputy Minister Surty said in closing.

With 136 schools as beacons of hope, completed to date, ASIDI showcases true strength and triumph of the human spirit over challenge and circumstance.