Founding campaign · Merafeng Primary School
This is our starting point. Here’s what your gift changes.
Merafeng is the first school in our Foundation Phase program — and this is a full renovation, not a patch job: roofing, structural walls, sanitation, and grounds, all at once. Before we describe what we’re building, we want you to see exactly what exists today. No campaign has been funded here yet. You would be among the first.
Classrooms & learning spaces
Where children are learning to read right now.
Exposed ceiling beams above shelves of learning materials
Structural crack, classroom corner
Wall paint failure near electrical outlet, chalkboard wall
Peeling wall paint, classroom corner
Wall paint failure below the chalkboard
Severe cracking throughout walls
Interior walls of classrooms
Sanitation & water
Basic facilities, under real strain.
Boys’ bathroom, exterior entrance
Portable toilet units beside the playground
Water tanks and portable toilets, rear grounds
Building exterior & structure
Decades of wear on the walls that hold the school together.
Main classroom block, front field
Wall corner erosion at ground level
Perimeter wall and gate, cracked plaster
Passage between classroom blocks
Drainage slab and debris, behind classrooms
Outside view of classrooms
Covered walkway between classroom blocks
Covered walkway, barred window and downpipe
Playground & Sports Grounds
Where play should happen, but rarely can.
Sports court, worn gravel surface
Netball court, uneven surface
Damaged backboard, sports court
Broken seesaw and climbing frame, overgrown
Fenced play area, jungle gyms and slides
Jungle gym, broken ladder and slide
Playground equipment, classroom block behind
Collapsed monkey bars and seesaw ramp
For companies & institutional partners
A $275,000 undertaking is built for shared funding.
A renovation this size rarely closes on individual gifts alone. We’re actively structuring matched-giving and corporate co-funding for Merafeng — a partner commits a lead gift or a match, and we use it to unlock giving from our wider donor circle. If your company wants its gift doubled in impact, or wants naming/reporting tied to a specific phase of the rebuild (roofing, sanitation, grounds), talk to us before you give.
Matched giftsCommit a match and we’ll pair it with individual donor gifts as they come in, rand for rand, up to your ceiling.
Phase sponsorshipFund one phase of the rebuild outright — roofing, walls, sanitation, or grounds — with reporting specific to that scope.
Multi-year pledgesSpread a commitment across the renovation timeline instead of a single gift.
Talk to us about partnering on Merafeng →
Give directly to Merafeng →
Questions donors ask
Before you give.
Why $275,000?This covers a full renovation, not a single repair: roof and ceiling work, structural wall and plaster repair across multiple blocks, permanent sanitation to replace the portable toilets, and rebuilding the playground and sports grounds. It’s a large number because it’s the real, all-in cost — we chose not to break it into smaller asks that understate the scope.
Nothing has been raised yet — why start now?Merafeng is the first school in our Foundation Phase program. We publish this page at $0 raised, honestly, because we’d rather show you the real starting line than inflate early momentum.
How will funds be used and tracked?Consistent with our 70/30 principle sitewide, at least 70 cents of every rand goes directly to the renovation work itself. We report progress to funders as work is contracted and completed — you’ll see updates, not just a thank-you email.
Can I give toward a specific part of the renovation?Yes — this campaign is tracked as one goal rather than split into separate line items, but if you or your company want a gift directed at a specific phase (sanitation, roofing, playground), reach out and we’ll confirm it in writing.
Be a founding donor
Join a very special group of people who are blazing the trail towards this incredible work of rebuilding Merafeng Primary School.
Every dollar toward Merafeng starts at zero today. Founding donors set this campaign in motion — $275,000 rebuilds the classrooms, sanitation, walls, and play spaces documented above.
Donate to the Merafeng campaign →
Get email updates from The Circle
Quarterly impact drops, campaign milestones, no spam.
