According to the World Health Organization, as many as 15% of all South Africans live with a disability. Many of these people are children – and in too many cases, they’re not receiving the basic support they need.

International NPO, Human Rights Watch, estimates that half a million children with disabilities aren’t being offered access to quality education. South Africa’s Department of Basic Education statistics for 2017 indicated that 11 461 children with disabilities were on special school waiting lists.

With so many overwhelming statistics, it’s easy to focus on the logistical problems and, in the process, forget about the children who make up those figures. Many of these kids say the hardest part about being disabled is the discrimination. Being treated like a number only makes it worse.

“Sometimes all these kids need is just some love and attention. They are children after all and they deserve to have some joy in their childhood, says Nicolene Mostert founder of NPC, One Chance At Life (OCAL) Global. Mostert’s organisation does much to combat the stigma associated with disability.

The organisation’s goals are to provide wellness activities, economic opportunities and sustainable skills development programmes for differently abled people. With the assistance of DSC Attorneys, a law firm specialising in personal injury and Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims, the organisation is tackling the issues one step at a time.

One of the projects OCAL Global is currently running involves working with differently abled children in the Pixley ka Seme District in the Northern Cape. The goal is to bring some normality to these children’s lives, through simple, fun activities like colouring-in, face-painting and playing games. Mostert has been working in this area for several years and has identified over 2000 children under the age of 12 who have disabilities and who haven’t once seen a doctor or been properly diagnosed.

12-year-old Thato (name changed), for example, suffers from cerebral palsy and needs his mother’s constant assistance to perform basic day-to-day activities. Because he can’t walk, his mother often has to carry him on her back, covering long distances when she runs daily errands.

On a recent trip, DSC Attorneys and OCAL Global delivered a wheelchair to Thato and his mother. The simple donation has made a real difference to the boy’s and his mother’s lives. Thato reports feeling much more independent and his confidence has grown. His mother says, “It’s the first time in 12 years that I’ve felt hope”.

“Sometimes we think we need to make some big change to have an impact, but even the smallest effort can have a huge effect on someone’s life. I was really grateful to see that”, says Jacqueline Hudson, associate attorney at DSC Attorneys.

OCAL Global is focused on making persistent impact at grass roots level, “because that is how we bring change and hope to those who need it most,” says Mostert. She says much change can be brought by companies just evaluating their approaches to corporate social investment.

Anyone who’s interested in supporting OCAL’s cause can contact Nicolene Mostert on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call on 083 314 7349.

Shipping containers to be used for Early Childhood Development Centre in Woodlane Village.

On Mandela Day, teams from different companies will join forces to paint eight shipping containers, which will become a much-needed crèche in the informal settlement, Woodlane Village – commonly referred to as Plastic View – in Moreleta Park, Pretoria.

Big Box Containers, a South African company that specialises in container sales, rentals and conversions, is partnering with SA Cares for Life, GROOTfm and other sponsors to help build this Early Development Centre for pre-schoolers.

The settlement began in 2007, when a group of people living in a nearby field came together to build on the land. Despite on-going legal battles over occupation of the land, the settlement continued to grow. By 2016, it included 3000 registered residents and 865 shacks – and today, it’s estimated that more than 7000 residents are living on the eight hectares of land.

The community includes hundreds of children below the ages of six. Due to poverty and lack of formal infrastructure, many of these children lack proper nutrition, healthcare, schooling and even access to basic sanitation.

Sanet Fagan, managing director of SA Cares for Life, says the activities on Mandela Day will mark the beginning of a school that will provide the children of Plastic View with education, food, safety, water and sanitation. Crime is a major concern for people living in the village and the surrounding communities, she says. “Studies have shown that children who don’t receive an education between three and four are more likely to be involved in criminal activity. By giving these children an education, we empower them to make better moral decisions.”

With ongoing discussion about possible relocation of the village, using containers to build the school makes sense. If a final decision to move the people of Woodlane Village is made, the school can be moved too, says GROOTfm project manager, Lindie Strydom.

Willie Mouton, a director of Big Box Containers, says the company got involved after he was approached by GROOTfm’s marketing manager, Luané Janse Van Rensburg. “I was driving in a Big Box branded bakkie and this woman came running after me. I was quite concerned as I thought she’d been injured, so I immediately stopped. It was then that she handed me a business card and told me they needed a sponsor for the containers.”

The eight containers, valued at R282 000, have already been converted by Big Box Containers. To be suitable for use as a school, however, they need to be insulated, which is expensive. Two other sponsors, SSG Consulting and ATTBuild, have donated R100 000 each to cover the costs.

Other companies have also joined the initiative, with sponsorship from Nancefield Auto Paints, Ecsponent Limited, VDT Attorneys and SPAR Northrand. Altogether, eight teams will meet on Mandela Day to colour in outlined drawings on the containers, kicking off an initiative in keeping with this year’s Mandela Day theme, #ActionAgainstPoverty.

However, this is only the first phase.

“We still need to equip the school with furniture, as well as items such as mattresses, cups, plates and educational material,” says Fagan. Sufficient funding to cover operational costs, including salaries for teachers, is also needed.

The project aims to create several jobs for women living in Plastic View. SA Cares for Life has prepared a shortlist of women it would like to train as educators and care-givers. “This way the project changes the destiny of not only the children, but the women who are employed at the school,” says Fagan.

The aim is to deliver the containers to Plastic View by August, with official set-up of the school in September or October. Training for the women workers is planned for November to December.

However, reaching these targets depends on whether all building and operational budget requirements are met, says Fagan.

Companies that want to help with donations can contact Fagan at SA Cares for Life.

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ABOUT BIG BOX CONTAINERS
Big Box Containers is one of the biggest privately owned container rental, sales and conversion companies in Africa, with operations in the Western Cape and Gauteng. The company has two decades of experience in converting shipping containers into functional work, living and event spaces. It’s also an active supporter of community, charitable and sporting events across South Africa.

Media contact
Taryn Nightingale; Gnu World Media
021 448 9280
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EDITOR’S NOTES:
For more information on:

• Big Box Containers, visit https://www.bigboxcontainers.co.za/about
• SA Cares for Life, visit https://www.sacares.website/
• GROOTfm, visit http://grootfm.co.za/
• the BOUPlasticCity project, visit http://grootfm.co.za/bou/
• and Mandela Day visit https://www.mandeladay.com/.