Hope and smiles for the children of Vulingqondo Crèche

Through the devoted guidance of Lonza's finance manager, Graham Ponter, Vulingqondo has developed from humble beginnings into an organised, structured and disciplined educational institution and has further benefited from exciting developments during 2012.

"Last year we focused on upgrading the building with a new classroom and additional extensions to accommodate the growing needs of the crèche. The roof was thatched, which will keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer, and the grounds were graded so that newly planted lawn could replace the knee-high veld grass," explained Ponter.

Vulingqondo Crèche plays a vital role in the development of this community and the children identify it as a place of security and happiness. To date, Lonza has stepped in with supplies of sport and playground equipment, stationery, books, visuals and many other learning aids to assist with the educational and social development of the seventy children at Vulingqondo.

The next project is to assist the crèche in becoming self-sustaining by planting a vegetable garden. Tools and seedlings will be supplied and the children will be encouraged to be actively involved in a garden that will produce food for some of their daily meals.

Warm and caring environment

"It is always a joy to visit the school and see the bright and happy smiles that are a result of the warm and caring environment that has been created together with the teacher and helpers. Each child is nurtured, educated and fed a healthy meal every day. We hope that through our self-sustaining vegetable garden project we will give them a sense of self-worth and provide a solution, albeit on a very small scale, to the ever present problem of hunger in the poorer communities," added Ponter.

The traditional annual 'Graduation Ceremony' remains the highlight of the calendar for the oldest of the group as they prepare for 'big school', and for the staff at Lonza, who clear their work schedule to be a part of this special occasion. Not even Father Christmas misses the party along with his bag of gifts at the Christmas party.

"Caring for the community is an important part of being an industry leader. It is Lonza's philosophy to be a responsible neighbour by contributing to the quality of life in the communities in which we operate. Our commitment to the Vulingqondo crèche is to create sustainable value through an educational facility that will form a foundation for their future schooling career. It is a rewarding experience and a privilege for the staff of Lonza to be a part of these remarkable children's lives," said Gerard Busse, Marketing Manager, Lonza Wood Protection.