Picture two mobile computer and library classrooms, rolling through the rugged landscapes of the Cape Winelands, bringing the gift of education to children in the most remote corners.
Dubbed the Travelling Classroom, this game-changing initiative, led by premium wine producer DGB, is proving that no distance is too great when it comes to empowering young minds. From dusty farm roads to far-flung rural schools, these classrooms on wheels are delivering knowledge where it’s needed most.
The minister of agriculture, John Steenhuisen, recently unveiled the state-of-the-art mobile learning facility, which took place at Alfons Primary School in Paarl.
Attending the event, Steenhuisen said South Africa faces three major challenges: unemployment, inequality, and poverty.
“I think education is the key to the remedy for each of those three particular problems facing us. Making sure that every child in South Africa, no matter their background, is able to access a good quality education surely has to be one of the easiest ways to level the playing field in our country.
“The reality is that the government cannot do it on its own. Limited resources mean that we have to partner with the private sector, with organisations like DGB and others, to be able to meet the huge need that we have to make sure that our children are learning and that the opportunities exist for them to succeed and go forth to become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Classroom of the future
Each classroom travels across the winelands every day and visits each of the 19 schools on the programme bi-weekly during school hours.
The learning facilities comprise two impressive 15m trailer trucks costing R4.5 million each to kit out and R750 000 a year to run and operate. Both are fully equipped with a multitude of books as well as a computer centre aiming to bridge the educational gap and uplift over 5 000 primary school children and 153 teachers from 19 regional primary schools each year.
Over 80% of grade 4 students at schools in these areas struggle to comprehend what they read. This stark reality is a barrier to their academic success and future potential.
The Travelling Classroom, the second of its kind, serves as a beacon of hope, igniting a flame of curiosity in each child it reaches, to nurture children’s educational experiences and address their challenges head-on by bringing vital educational resources and holistic development to the heart of the communities that need them most.
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Language and literacy is a key focus area. The classroom provides diverse books to foster a love for reading and boost academic performance. Another focus area is maths and computer literacy, equipping each classroom with 20 internet-enabled laptops and the SA curriculum-aligned Green Shoots MCO maths programme.
Social conscience is also a focus, nurturing moral values and responsible citizenship among children.
Nurturing early childhood development
This second Travelling Classroom is made possible through a financial investment equally shared between the DGB Charitable Trust, and the DGB executive chairman’s family trust, Hutch – Giving Children A Chance Trust.
It is further backed by leading donors Daimler Truck, Ardagh Glass Packaging, and Rhenus Logistics, as well as an ever-expanding network of passionate individuals, businesses and organisations who share a common ethos: “If we can change the beginning of the story, we can change the whole story”.
Tim Hutchinson, the executive chairman at DGB, invited donors to join and help pave the way to brighter futures and further grow the drive to improve early childhood development in underprivileged communities.
“If we can see children progress to higher education while remembering the lessons they’ve learnt at our facility, then we will all be better people for it,” he said.
Driving positive change
DGB, a premium wine producer and distributor with a heritage deeply rooted in the Cape Winelands, has always been passionate about driving positive change through initiatives like this.
Ree du Toit, the production director of DGB, stated, “We are dedicated to transforming education by providing essential tools and knowledge to the youth of the Cape Winelands. Our commitment is to inspire students to overcome the barriers of poverty and resource scarcity and to help them write a new story for themselves and their community.”
The impact of The Travelling Classroom is already being felt in the community, with school principals expressing their gratitude and seeing tangible improvements in student engagement and performance.
To share in its successes, DGB invites organisations, the government, trusts, foundations and individuals to consider joining hands and partnering with this initiative as it plays its part in transforming the educational landscape for young learners.
To become a part of The Travelling Classroom, contact DGB at Charitable.Trust@dgb.co.za or Ree du Toit at 021 864 5303.
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