“You can opt to be a cheque charity by only writing out cheques and not getting involved in the community or you can form partnerships as equals and spend time in the community for a legacy that lasts a long time.
“GrandWest is very proud of the relationship they have with Excelsior Secondary School in Belhar and we hope the revamping to the value of R600 000 of the science lab and consumer skills classroom will change the lives of generations to come.”
This is what Mervyn Naidoo, general manager of GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World, said at the opening at the school on Wednesday 14 April.
He added that when he visited the school after receiving the request for funding he was impressed with the sense of drive, determination and will to succeed of the principal and teachers.
“When we started the revamping of laboratories and classrooms as schools in 2014 and visited schools from AZ Berman in Mitchells Plain to Saxonsea in Atlantis, I was pleasantly surprised at the creative means in which the schools raised funds. When GrandWest formed a relationship or partnership with these schools it was as equals and this winning philosophy and mentality is why the partnerships are successful,” Naidoo says.
The school celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and was previously known as Belhar No 2. In attendance was one of the first learners, photographer Roger Sedres from Kuils River.
Through the years the school produced three professors of science and two medical doctors, one raised by a single mom.
“Due to a lack of funds we had to approach businesses for funding, but it was not easy getting them on board. Excelsior is currently the only school in the area where pure maths and physics are taught and we refused to change to maths literacy.
“We still believe that your circumstances don’t determine who you are or what you can achieve. If opportunities are forwarded you should take that opportunity and use it to better yourself and the community.
“When we learned about the social responsibility campaign of GrandWest we contacted Naidoo and today is the result of that communication,” says Sandra Rutgers, former principal, who initiated the communication between the school and GrandWest.
She also added that GrandWest not only sponsored the revamped classroom and lab, but also followed it up with developmental workshops for teachers.
In future she hopes that Excelsior will stream maths and physics to other schools in the area to broaden the base of learners to chose maths as a subject.
“We and GrandWest had a shared vision as equal partners and learning is so much better than when they found us and we want to excel to be better.
“The legacy between us will benefit the Excelsior community for years to come and will allow learners to be more excited about maths and physics. Currently we have 1 500 learners and we are grateful for the sponsorship; hopefully one of our learners will become an international scientist thanks to this sponsorship and GrandWest is now part of the Excelsior family,” Rutgers says.
Miss SA, Lalela Mswana, who officially opened the lab and classroom, told the learners they should never stop dreaming and make use of every opportunity coming their way.
She hopes to inspire youth through empowerment and chatted with the learners to familiarise herself with their dreams and encouraged them to follow their dreams.
Other dignataries were Brenda Robertson, director of the provincial education department, and Clive Justus of the City of Cape Town.
