Former Springbok prop Tendai Mtawarira and his wife, Kuziva, recently rallied to offer vital supplies and ‘green’ the spaces at Salt Rock’s Sizani School.

In partnership with sponsor Husqvarna, the Mtawariras – through The Beast Foundation – were looking for somewhere to concentrate their combined energy and a pre-existing relationship with Sizani School, situated in the heart of Salt Rock, made for a natural synergy.

ALSO READ: Boks face delicate balancing act

With a background in child psychology, Kuziva Mtawarira shares Tendai’s passion for empowering the youth, identifying the school’s needs early on.

Mtawarira realised that in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, people were worried about two main things: getting food on the table and being healthy. This drove an effort to ‘green’ the outdoor areas at the school and add a vegetable garden for sustainable food.

Sizani has grown from small beginnings of 150 students to the 900 they have now, meaning resources have been stretched to the limit.

Husqvarna is providing equipment and training time, a generator and other essential items to the value of R120,000. Other partners in the project are Future Life Smart Nutrition who have donated over  9,000 meals, Starke Ayres which donated the vegetable garden starter kits and The Digital Media Collective, which donated face masks for the pupils.

Principal Ntombenhle July, who has worked for three decades at Sizani School, notes the importance of the community in ensuring the success of the school.

‘This will make such a difference to the students, the educators and the parents of Sizani, and I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed,’ July said.

July cited access to water as an additional hurdle for the school, but it is one which the project could solve.

WATCH: Chasing the Sun trailer

The school still requires many resources and the Mtawarira family are calling on the community to help. To assist with the project, contact the Beast Foundation at [email protected].