Zandspruit Informal Settlement is home to some 13500 families. The entire area is currently supported by a single primary school, which has been completely overwhelmed by the influx of learners. In general, Zandspruit Informal Settlement is critically short of all basic services and is over populated with all the resulting social and economic dilemmas.
When Kingsway Centre of Concern purchased land adjacent to the Zandspruit Informal Settlement in 2001, the purpose was therefore two-fold:
Relocate the Kingsway Christian School to this land and grow the school
Develop the Thandanani House of Refuge
Kingsway School has been operating in Randpark Ridge for over 15 years. During this time, there has been an increasing demand for acceptance of children into the school. Due to consent use restrictions on the current school site, we have not been able to meet this demand. Plans have been drawn up to build a school that will allow us to increase our intake at the Pre-School level, build a Primary School that can eventually cater for three times the number of pupils and then finally build a Secondary School.
Our Thandanani House of Refuge can currently accommodate a maximum of 20 children. The plans drawn up include 8 houses each accommodating 6 children together with house parents, thus allowing us to accept up to 48 children and creating a more favourable family environment.
Recreational facilities, like sports grounds, are poorly catered for in the Zandspruit area. Suitable sports facilities will be developed on the Kingsway property. Kingsway has also joined forces with two adjacent Community Projects to establish a proper soccer field where learners and other community members will have the opportunity of participating in various sports.
Therefore this move will facilitate a significant increase in the number of children and families able to benefit from the education and care offered by Kingsway Centre of Concern