Description of project:

In 2000, Former President Nelson Mandela requested that Mark Shuttleworth build a new school in Xhili, a small village in rural Transkei. The school caters for 700 learners and has 15 classrooms, including a science and computer laboratory, a library and an innovative school hall facility. The building was also equipped to provide running water and electricity.

The Shuttleworth Foundation?s involvement:

This school was seen as a special once-off project. Meetings were held with the MECs of Education and Finance in the Eastern Cape to discuss operational requirements in terms of staff, furniture, equipment, electricity, water and sanitation for the school. We believed that through this process of consultation, we could ensure that the school was fully operational by January 2002 and that Mark Shuttleworth and the Shuttleworth Foundation had met their obligations to the former President and people of Xhili.

In order to effectively understand and meet the needs of the community, involvement of all role players was encouraged. To this end, local labour was used for the construction.

Aims and objectives:

The aim of this project was to deliver on the promise made to Mr. Nelson Mandela to build a school in Xhili in Transkei.

Evaluation:

The school is ready and operational with the launch scheduled to take place later this year. The Shuttleworth Foundation has added certain equipment (library shelves) to its original agreement/promise to Mr. Mandela. These still need to be fitted. Teaching is already taking place.