A state-of-the-art school in the middle of the deep rural areas of uMlalazi in northern KwaZulu-Natal has been built and completed by the Independent Development Trust (IDT) on behalf KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education.
Welabasha Technical High School is part of the number of schools which were earmarked by the provincial government for upgrades and renovations in order to convert them into technical high schools with boarding facilities for the learners.
In terms of the project scope the IDT was contracted by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education to build 17 new classrooms, two multi-purpose centres, two computer laboratories, an administration block, three workshops for electrical, civil and mechanical engineering, a hospitality block and a kitchen, a change room for learners who participate in sporting activities, ablution facilities for educators and learners, a media centre, the parking area for educators and visitors, a high capacity water tank and a sewerage treatment plant.
The newly built school facilities are now occupied by about 1400 learners who come from Empangeni, Richards Bay, Esikhawini and Mtubatuba areas and 43 educators as well as other support staff including security guards, cleaners and clerks.
Over and above building new structures, the IDT was tasked with renovating 15 old classrooms, a science laboratory and ablution facilities.
The project cost for all the new structures and the renovations amount to about R105 million and during construction of the school the IDT created at least 128 job opportunities which included 22 females, 106 males and 79 youths.
All these people who benefited with job opportunities come from the surrounding areas and the IDT is proud to have utilised the project to help reduce the high levels of poverty in the community.
For all this to happen, the IDT had to do extensive community mobilisation and negotiations with the local chief who donated the land for the new school and the local communities who also vacated their ploughing fields for the school to be built.
The IDT makes use of social facilitation to enhances self-reliance at a community level which helps prepare communities to receive, participate in and own such infrastructure and use it for their development.
