Two public schools in Nelson Mandela Bay desperately trying to stay afloat amid severe water-supply challenges have received a lifeline as the countdown to the year-end exams begins.

Crumbling infrastructure and crippling water cuts in the Metro have severely impacted the ability of Motherwell and Douglas Mbopa high schools to provide an environment conducive to learning.

Even though access to water is a basic human right in South Africa, they are among more than 3 600 schools without water or that are buckling under crumbling infrastructure and high water bills.

Besides this affecting sanitation, feeding programmes so crucial to many of these communities also suffer as a result of water-related issues.

When the Gqeberha schools’ pleas to the Department of Education and city fathers went unanswered, the governing bodies approached private-sector company Coega Steels for assistance.

Many of their learners’ parents were employees, project manager Rohan Raiker said.

He duly assembled a team of six specialists to systematically improve infrastructure and other installations.

The work, initially projected for completion by year-end, is however well ahead of schedule. The Motherwell premises, for example, is all but finished.

“The system is operational with only the protective cage pending,” Raiker confirmed.

Among the improvements were a burst water pipe, installation of a 30m pipe between the water-storage tanks and vegetable garden as well as the supply and fitment of taps and a pump to facilitate supply.

A tank with a capacity of 10 000 litres was also donated to help cut the costs of tending the patch.

The produce is used for school meals and sold to teaching staff, while the community are allowed to use the garden to cultivate their own vegetables.

Raiker said leaks to municipal installations that remained untouched long after being reported had also been plugged.

Principal Ntomboxolo Kula said Coega Steels’s assistance could not have come sooner as the institution had been running on empty from a water, infrastructure and financial perspective.

“It’s not nice for the kids when the toilets are not working,” Kula, who presides over 1 500 learners, said. “It takes away their dignity.”

She pointed out that the privacy of bathrooms also offered refuge to teachers and learners needing a moment for themselves.

“It is where you can go to be alone, say what you need to say, pray what you need to pray, have a cry and come out stronger and ready to move forward.”

At Douglas Mbopa, the first phase of the interventions was to restore water to the kitchen. A line was replaced, two outside taps were fitted, waste pipes were repaired and replaced, filters added and a stopcock installed.

Principal Mziwake Keye said with the kitchen operational once more he was looking forward to water savings and a reduced municipal bill.

Ensuring that water was safe for drinking and cooking purposes was very important as contamination has led to learners having to go home hungry in the past, he said.

Keye said the steelmaker would next install tanks to supply all the toilets with running water as the current system was “leaking, old and collapsing”.

Raiker pointed out safeguarding of the water supply was a shared responsibility and that the response from both schools had been extremely positive.

“We have observed a strong commitment by them to maintain and improve their facilities. There is also a willingness to work collaboratively to address challenges.”

He added that the mini-mill’s proximity to the two schools would allow them to respond quickly to future maintenance issues.

From August, Raiker and his team will also monitor utility bills to evaluate whether the completed work has resulted in any significant changes.

He said investing in young people was an investment in the future and called on other businesses to contribute meaningfully by similarly helping to improve learning environments.

Earlier this year, engineering students from the Czech Republic and GQ’s Olifantsfontein Artisans Academy were hosted by Coega Steels to give them real-life exposure to the industry.

The mill was committed to youth development and education and Raiker envisaged similar visits by the two schools as part of its future community engagement efforts.