The relationship between facilities management company Servest and the Grace Christian Private School began in a manner that suggests divine intervention, school principal Hendrik Mahlangu will tell you.
The independent school is one of only three schools in the Middelburg region of Mpumalanga that attained a 100% matric pass, a real achievement given the 750-day national state of disaster. Mr Mahlangu attributes this great success to the grace of God, the dedication of teachers and learners – and the support of kind donors like Servest.
Servest Corporate Investment Goes A Long Way
“We are extremely humbled by such generosity from the team of Servest,” Mr Mahlangu says. “Indeed, it came just in time, at a time of real need.”
The school continued operating during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2021), after making the necessary adjustments. Alternating classes became the order of the day and worked well. But the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) became too big a burden to bear.
This is when by a miracle, a UK friend of the school put Servest in touch with Mr Mahlangu. Servest came to the rescue, offering to donate the necessary PPE. The relationship has since continued to flourish as Servest adopted the school as part of its commitment to volunteering in support of communities.
Time Is The Greatest Investment
True to the spirit of corporate social investment, the company and its staff have invested time, resources and effort into helping the school’s community produce principled, disciplined and well-educated young adults.
Servest has put its expertise to excellent use in creating a safe and comfortable learning environment for the school’s 650 pupils, even sending in volunteers as free labour when called for.
“It makes me immensely proud to see my colleagues roll up their sleeves and open their wallets to get behind Servest’s initiative to partner with the Grace Christian Private School,” says Melanie Ann Bauer, Human Resources Director at Servest.
“The fact that they are prepared to contribute personally, over and above what the company’s business units provide, clearly demonstrates their commitment to community support.”
Our Support For This Wonderful School
After having provided support to the value of over R600 000 throughout the national state of emergency, Servestians recently rolled up their sleeves for a much-needed revamp of school facilities. Staff members raised funds for the purchase of new bedding and grocery vouchers for the school’s hostel, all over and above the donations of paint, window blinds, chairs and tables sourced from the company’s own clients and suppliers for the two dining rooms.
Servest’s office services business unit donated cleaning materials and equipment to the value of R10 000, and the cleaning business unit donated a refurbished push sweeper and auto scrubber. The integrated business unit teamed up with the facilities business unit to put up the new blinds and take care of any general handyman tasks. The landscaping business unit surveyed the land around the school and established a self-sustaining kitchen garden.
Servest’s security solutions business unit provided all the logistical support, making use of its fleet to ferry people and goods between headquarters in Waterfall and school premises nearly 200 km away. The catering business unit supplied all refreshments and meals.
“Their acts of good faith have changed the face of our hostel, starting from the new bedding provided. You should have seen the joy that they brought to the faces of our children,” Mr Mahlangu adds, “and the staff, with all the cleaning equipment. May our good God continue to bless Servest as a whole – your families and the directors.”
