Charles Duna Primary School

The Department of Quantity Surveying adopted the Charles Duna Primary School as a charitable cause in 2013. Ms Nombulelo has been principal of the school since 1998 and has managed to feed her pupils a cooked lunch, over 1000 students, every day by getting the parents involved in developing a vegetable garden and raising money from different sources – note that she was not part of the School Feeding Fund until 2 years ago! She had received a donation and had toilet blocks built about 7 years ago, but only received running water from the municipality in 2013. The QS Department and the QS student society participated in the following activities over the last couple of years:
  • Renovation of the old principal’s office into a kitchen for our feeding scheme: The students donated wall tiles and grouting. They donated a geyser and organised its installation by a plumber. This project is still continuing in 2015 – completion date is September as the school and students are encountering financial challenges in order to complete the entire project. However fundraising efforts are continuing.
  • Sports fun day: The students organised a sports fun day in 2014. They fundraised and requested sponsors for prizes. 
  • Mandela Day: The QS Department staff came to the school and helped make the rugged terrain safe for learners. They picked up stones, identified dangerous places and objects and removed them. By the time they left, the area they worked on was a safe zone. The stones collected was turned into sculpture by the learners and society students in 2015.
The most rewarding part of this charitable is taking our students to the school and letting them see first-hand what can be achieved if a person has the drive to make a difference as Ms Sume has. Also, as our students are often from more advantaged schools, it is good to open their eyes to the ‘other side’. As for the pupils of Charles Duna, the QS Department hopes to instil in them a desire to emulate our students. 
 
Contact information
Ms Sharon Dent
Senior Lecturer
Tel: 27 41 504 3590
Sharon.Dent@mandela.ac.za