Refilwe - A Self-Sustaining School Project
Posted by Mukund Nori
on Dec 16, 2011
Rtn. Graham Katzellenbogen, a member of the Sandton Rotary Club, Joannesburg, South Africa took me to visit 2 of their projects. They support several schools in various shanty towns. He took me to the Refilwe Hall and Community Centre where families living in Blair Atholl Farm all of whom were losing their homes due to change in ownership were relocated to land leased from the Anglican Church. The Sandton Rotary Club partnered with Refilwe, a Christian organization that practices self-reliance and helps all those in need without proseltyzing. Members of Refilwe also relocated to this land, renovated the grounds and the buildings, and started several market farming projects to generate funds and become independent of help from others. The Sandton Rotary Club helped establish and equip an orphanage, a pre-primary school, a primary school, and a high school. Most of the staff and students live onsite and help with the food gardens, maintenance, and upkeep of the place. The club filled in an olympic-size pool and converted it into a gymnasium that doubles as an assembly hall and a location for high school students to receive vocational guidance from club members and community leaders. Furthermore, with the help of an RI grant, they upgraded services including roads, sewers, water, electricity, etc. For more information on this project, please visit: http://www.sandtonrotary.co.za/index.php/project-512-refilwe.
In addition to his other charitable activities, Rtn. Graham personally helps provide 10,000 frozen cheese pizzas to this and other schools and club projects. He is seen here holding one pizza in a walk-in freezer at the Refilwe Project. You can view more pictures from this visit via a link in the Photo Journals section below right.