Many of us take for granted easy access to safe and sanitary toilets but as we know this isn’t the case for everyone. We asked Tsietsi Ngobese, CEO of actuarial consultancy Wesolve4x, about his campaign to improve the conditions of dangerous and poorly maintained toilets at some schools in South Africa.
What difference has it made for the children of Mzinto Primary School – the first school you raised funding for?
The impact is huge.
Mzinto Primary School is a rural school situated outside Mount Frere within the Umzimvubu Local Municipality of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The Wesolve4x team first visited the school on 5th August 2021 to introduce their extracurricular maths and grocery hamper campaign.
Tsietsi told us how their plan evolved, ”prior to my visit, I had read how a five-year-old pupil had fallen into a pit toilet at his school on 20 January 2014 and drowned, which was shocking but as so often happens seemed unreal. But unbelievably, whilst we were at the school I witnessed a grade R (4-6 years old) learner falling into a latrine pit with other pupils and teachers having to rescue the child. I was left traumatised by the experience knowing that the child could have died. The experience made me realise we needed to help.”
”We left Mzinto Primary School with a clear understanding of the fear the parents and teachers carried daily for these young learners.”
Tsietsi Ngobese, Wesolve4x
What began as an initiative to adopt the school as part of the Wesolve4x #BecomeAnActuary maths programme, quickly evolved to become a mission to raise funds to build safe toilets for the school. With it being during the Covid pandemic it was a tough year to raise funds, but by November 2022 we had reached our target and started building the new block.
For the first time in 115 years, learners can now go to the toilet without the constant fear of unsafe and unsanitary pit latrine toilets. Teachers no longer have to disrupt their lessons to accompany learners to ensure their safety. Together we have restored dignity to the teachers, learners and parents of the Mzinto Community.
Why has it become so important for you and Wesolve4x to replace the toilets at so many more schools?
So far we have visited 35 schools in Mount Frere all facing the same challenge as Mzinto Primary School. The focus for the Wesolve4x team is to teach maths to children in a safe environment and allow them to dream beyond their poverty, hunger and current realities.
What is your end goal for this ‘Help Build Toilets Campaign’?
Our end goal is to stop all school toilets in South Africa from being death traps and to build safe toilets for all learners.
How can people help with this campaign?
Wesolve4x have set up a toilet paper production factory so that they can raise funds to build safe toilets for more schools. MBE Consulting is proud to support this campaign. If you would like to contribute you can buy Ntofo toilet paper within South Africa or you can donate on the Wesolve4x website. You can also help by providing your skills and/or technology to build safe toilets in water-stricken areas and collaborate with us to help build the toilets using the smartest methods.
