Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has unveiled the newly refurbished and expanded Nombuso Disability Development Centre in Ndwedwe, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. In place of the old, dilapidated structure, ACSA built a new school with four classrooms, computer laboratory, administration block that includes a reception and waiting area, a kitchen and dining area with storage, sick bays, and others.
Ms. Refentse Shinners, ACSA’s Group Executive for Corporate Affairs, says: “This project highlights the power and importance of partnerships in bringing about inclusive growth and upliftment in vulnerable communities. If we are going to ensure inclusive growth and opportunities in the communities in which we operate, it’s imperative that we work in ongoing partnerships, where government, families, organs of civil society and the corporate sector all
work towards a common goal, rather than in silos.”
She stresses: “Children with special needs living in rural under-serviced communities often find themselves confined to their homes and deprived of any meaningful early childhood development services and educational opportunities. This doesn’t have to be so, and Airports
Company South Africa is passionate about providing educational opportunities and support for people with disabilities in the communities surrounding our airports.”
The centre, which currently houses 32 children with special physical and intellectual needs as well as six volunteers, will now be able to cater for hundreds of their kinds. The project was handed over to Mr. Willies Mchunu, Kwazulu-Natal Premier and Mrs. Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, Deputy Minister of the Department of Social Development. ACSA notes that the project has created 71 employment opportunities for locals in the area.