4. BOXA classroom & Enviro-loo construction at Sakhile Centre of Learning

Sakhile Centre of Learning - Early Childhood Development & Eco-Tourism Centre - NGO/NPO (Sponsored by Legacy of Grace & Three Tree Hill) is situated in the Amazizi tribal authority area, northern Drakensberg region, kwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
The community here survives mainly through subsistence maize farming on small plots of land, with cattle being a focus. The nearest town centre is Bergville (45km away), which was established in 1897 as a commercial centre for dairy and cattle ranching. Some people gain income from migrant worker remittances and government grants, while others move to cities in search of work.
Transport and other services are not easily accessible to such remote tribal authority areas, while small and micro emerging enterprises have limited opportunities and exposure to mainstream economic markets in the formal economy. Generally, the area is limited in access to equipment, education and training opportunities, while there is a lack of management and technical skills by the local community. Basic adult education training programmes are not freely available. There is high youth unemployment, but some are fortunate enough to be involved in the tourism industry, of which the World Heritage site of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (and Royal Natal) is the biggest drawcard.
The Sakhile Project began in 2008 with a small nursery / crèche, with 18 children, in a house built by Mrs. Mabel Madonsela. Since 2015 a partnership between Elijah Hlanganani Mbonane (Tourist Guide from aMazizi village), Cheryl Blackburn (Three Tree Hill Lodge) and Cheryl Grace (Legacy of Grace SA) has elevated the project from a crèche into the proposed Early Childhood Development Centre. This project has been developed with Education, the Environment and Tourism in mind. The facilities have been built with the co-operation and support of the local tribal authority and the Department of Education.
Children attending this facility pay a small monthly fee to attend. They are fed breakfast and lunch, they are educated in Zulu & English, with learning materials and building facilities funded by private individuals from all over the world.
The teachers and staff are paid a small stipend from the South African Government Department of Education.
Your generous support would be greatly appreciated.
Legacy of Grace Website - www.cherylgrac...
Email - Cheryl Grace - [e-mail]
Whats App - Cheryl Grace [phone]
Email - Cheryl Blackburn - [e-mail]
Whats App - Cheryl Blackburn [phone]
‪@boxapossibilities1857‬ ‪@threetreehilllodge‬ @legacyofgracesa
The classroom & Enviro-loo that have been constructed by BOXA at Sakhile is a unique modular design building that was manufactured off-site to reduce construction waste and keep the disturbance to the learning centre to an absolute minimum. The team were on-site for 8 days to erect the class and toilets.
The structure is lifted off the ground and stabilized with a steel pile footing system that leaves the natural landscape beneath almost untouched. The structured walls are made from waste sand or industrial fly ash, bound with unsaturated polyester resin which are then dry-stacked. Absolutely no water or cement were used during construction. The roof & floor slabs are built using a series of cross laminated timber, all locally grown & sustainably sourced in South Africa.
The Enviro Loo is a “dry or waterless sanitation system”, for dry periods when we do not have access to water in the village. Waste enters the container via a ceramic toilet bowl. Liquid waste (urine) drains to the bottom of the container while solid waste remains on the drying plate.
The waste is exposed to a continuous flow of air (with the aid of a natural circulating ventilator) The oxygen devitalises the pathogenic organism sand acts as a deodorising agent.
Rainwater is captured from the roof & stored in a 2000 litre bladder underneath the building. With the aid of a solar-powered pump the water is then directed to the hand wash basins.