Earlier this year we reported on Winnie Tsotso’s well-earned retirement as principal of Masi Educare. The pre-school is based in the old farmhouse at the northern end of Masiphumelele and as well as Winnie managed it, there are significant building issues that remain if it is to become registered with the state and receive a subsidy for each student. When Winnie left, the City of Cape Town gave Masicorp the remit to make the pre-school sustainable and to meet the criteria to receive the state subsidy.

An extensive redevelopment project is starting to take place that involves upgrades to the existing kitchen facility and the construction of new classrooms. Together with the fire safety, plumbing and other maintenance work required the total cost of the redevelopment is estimated to come out at ZAR 2.6 million. That makes the development one of Masicorp’s most significant projects and the team in South Africa has a considerable project management task on their hands.

Fortunately the majority of the funding is secured thanks to an incredible effort from our overseas funders. This particular project is financed by an international collaboration of which the vast majority of the money has been gathered from the United States. A huge sum of US$200,000 has been donated from personal contacts of Jane Phillipi and John and Carol Thompson, the founders of Masicorp who now reside back home in the United States. A smaller contribution of 13,000 pounds sterling has been collected from partners in the UK and a further sum of 30,000 Euro’s is arriving from fund raisers in the Netherlands. Clearly the United States team is leading the way on this project and we are all immensely grateful for their hugely impressive efforts.

At the moment Masicorp has a series of concept drawings for the new classrooms produced and approved by the City of Cape Town. Work is beginning on site with a view to Masi Educare becoming a fully sustainable pre-school in 2014.