By Zama Mazibuko, SSA Youth Influencer KZN

The Brettonwood High School in the Umbilo area, adjacent to the Umbilo River and the M7 freeway, was one of many schools that suffered huge loss and damage due to the recent floods in KZN. Due to the severe flooding – in particular of their ground floor classes – the school was temporarily closed and was therefore inaccessible to the teachers and learners.

In partnership with the Mitchell Park Trust, and with the support of German Scouting partners Michael and Dorothea Boecker, the KZN Scout Region was able to donate 95 solid school desks and 140 chairs to the affected school.

“The school furniture was part of a donation made to the KZN Region a few years ago”, explains Garth Kloppenborg, Acting Regional Commissioner for the KZN Scout Region. “Upon receival of the furniture the majority was distributed among identified schools and Scout Groups in need. Desks and chairs that were not allocated, were stored in a storage facility 7kms out of Howick for safe keeping until an opportunity arose to pass it on to a school or organisation.

Mr Moolchun

We had the furniture, but the challenge was the transport to the school as the storage facility was over 110kms away from the Brettonwood High School in Durban. So, I reached out to the Mitchell Park Trust for assistance with the transport”, continues Garth. “Mitchell Park Trust Trustee Mr Moolchun was appointed to arrange the transport, and I coordinated the donation with Mrs Ellen Zizhow Principal of Brettonwood HIgh School, the Howick Scout Group, and storage facility owner. It felt great to be able to help, and Mrs Zizhow immediately agreed to the support we were able to provide.”

The transportation of the school furniture happened in the aftermath of the floods, so it wasn’t a simple endeavor. “Mr Moolchun’s son owns a transport business and advised in finding the most practical way to transport the furniture, as the road were still blocked with sand and debris making it a hazardous journey”, he adds. “Eventually a local Howick transport company was hired to undertake the collection from the storage facility in the Karkloof in Howick and transport it to Durban. A first attempt was made but had to be abandoned due to the muddy conditions of the roads on the farm, so it was decided to try again a week later. By the time the truck arrived at the school it was 16h00 and getting dark. However, this did not deter us from offloading the furniture and carrying it into the school Hall.”

Together with Mr Moolchun, his son Savash, his grandson, and SSA Youth Influencer Zama Mazibuko, Garth officially handed over the furniture to Mrs Ellen Zizhow. “I was pleased that eventually the school desks and chairs that had travel halfway around the world had found a home and a place where they will be apricated and used for their intended purpose”, concludes Garth.