YPO Cape Town to Change Delta Primary Pupils Lives

Delta Primary School in Retreat is to undergo an extreme make-over to some of its buildings, library, sports fields, playground and part of the administrative building thanks to the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO).

Identified by the Cape Town chapter of YPO as a school desperately in need of an upgrade, Delta Primary School buildings will be repaired, refurbished and painted and the sports and play grounds upgraded by members of the organisation.

According to YPO president Karl Westvig, Delta Primary School was chosen based on the criteria of it being a school in need of serious attention, a dedicated teaching staff who would support the project and children who would appreciate the upgrade.

As part of the fundraising drive to enable the make-over for the school possible, renowned Cape Town artist Paul du Toit will paint a canvass with three Delta Primary School pupils on Tuesday, September 27 at the school. This will be auctioned off via an online silent auction.

At present the classrooms at Delta Primary School, have missing and broken windows, missing panels from the prefabricated walls, existing walls are damp and moulding causing respiratory problems in learners, gutters and drainpipes are broken and non-existent, many roof sheets are broken and the upstairs balcony rail is corroded and a safety  hazard for pupils and teachers. 

On the weekend of 15 and 16 October members of the Cape Town  chapter of YPO, their families, pupil’s parents,  teachers, church  members and volunteers will all gather at the school to help  paint, mend, replace, garden and decorate alongside building contractors, steel contractors and window specialists who have volunteered their  time and  products to the cause. The make-over will focus mainly on the buildings housing the Grade R to 3 classrooms which are in total disrepair. Gutters and drainpipes will be replaced, roof tiles replaced and mended, window panes replaced and all steel window frames and walk-way poles sanded down and repainted. Mould will be removed from the gable boards in the prefabricated classrooms, the chipboard will be refilled, missing panels replaced and the entire building will receive a fresh coat of paint.

The wellpoint pumps on the property are broken and YPO are having these repaired so that the grass on the sports fields can be watered. They also plan to erect soccer posts. The school has no jungle gyms, essential for developing gross motor skills in growing children, and YPO will be erecting three on the property. At present the school does not have a library and as part of the make-over weekend YPO are installing a fully categorized library with the assistance of the NGO Equal Education’s, The Bookery, (www.equaleducation.org.za). A Delta Primary parent has volunteered her time to work in the library.

Other initiatives forming part of the extreme make-over are a revamp of the staff room. Intended as a morale booster and in recognition of the vital role they play in children’s lives, YPO plan to redecorate the staff room with new curtains, a fresh coat of paint, new cushions, a coffee table and pictures. YPO are in communication with the Parks Department to have trees on the property, which are overgrown and damaging buildings, to be cut back.

“When you look at our surroundings, there are not many things that you can be proud of, so this makeover will serve to instil pride in our community.  We want our learners and the community to be proud of the school so that they may be encouraged to look after it. We believe that this makeover is God-sent.  We are extremely grateful and honoured for being chosen by the YPO,” said principal of Delta Primary, Brigitte Jacobs. “The teaching staff has been fantastic and have helped mobilize the community to  support the project.  It has been an incredible experience working with wonderful people and we look forward to making Delta Primary School a beacon of hope in a community affected by adverse economic conditions,” said Mr Westvig.

Contact Information

Delta Primary School in Retreat was established in 1963 and caters to families in Retreat, Steenberg, Lavender Hill, Montague Village and Capricorn Park.

At present there are 861 pupils in the school and 27 teachers.

Tel:  021 7121737

Fax: 021 7128620

Email: admin@deltaps.wcape.school.za

Donations provided by Pick ‘n Pay, Lowe Bull Advertising, MacNeil, LCK Architects, Medal Paints, Talani Quantity Surveyors, Chic Mama Do Care Trust, Sutherland and Assoc, MacSteel, RAM Couriers, David Hellig & Abrahamse Land Surveyors, Carl Hayes and his team from Do It  All.