​SPAR partners with SA Cares for life on Mandela Day

20 August 2018


SA Cares for Life, sponsorship partner of SPAR, is tackling the issue of lack of education in the informal settlement, Woodlane Village – commonly referred to as Plastic View – in Moreleta Park, Pretoria.


The NPO, along with the support of GROOTfm and Big Box Containers, have taken on the challenge of creating a much-needed crèche for the hundreds of pre-schoolers living in the community.

SPAR joined in to support the first phase of this project:
Earlier this month, on Mandela Day, SPAR Northrand was one of the eight teams from eight different companies that combined forces to paint eight shipping containers, donated by Big Box Containers, that will become an Early Childhood Development Centre in Plastic View.

Plastic View began in 2007, when a group of people living in a nearby field came together to build on the land. Despite on-going legal battles over occupation of the land, the settlement continued to grow. By 2016, it included 3000 registered residents and 865 shacks – and today, it’s estimated that more than 7000 residents are living on the eight hectares of land.

SPAR Northrand sponsored all the food and beverages to keep the teams’ energy levels up on Mandela Day. The  SPAR Women’s Challenge team that helped paint the containers ensured they lived up to their theme ‘FindYourWingz’ by working hard and keeping their creative juices flying!

Sanet Fagan, managing director of SA Cares for Life, said the activities on Mandela Day marked the beginning of a school that will provide the children of Plastic View with education, food, safety, water and sanitation. Crime is a major concern for people living in the village and the surrounding communities, she says. “Studies have shown that children who don’t receive an education between three and four are more likely to be involved in criminal activity. By giving these children an education, we empower them to make better moral decisions.”

However, this was only the first phase.
“We still need to equip the school with furniture, as well as items such as mattresses, cups, plates and educational material,” says Fagan. Sufficient funding to cover operational costs, including salaries for teachers, is also needed.

The project aims to create several jobs for women living in Plastic View. SA Cares for Life has prepared a shortlist of women it would like to train as educators and care-givers. “This way the project changes the destiny of not only the children, but the women who are employed at the school,” says Fagan.

The aim is to deliver the containers to Plastic View by August, with official set-up of the school in September or October. Training for the women workers is planned for November to December.

SPAR Northrand and the SPAR Women’s Challenge brand ambassadors were honoured to be part of the event and are proud to be supporters of this initiative.