Alfred Moselakgomo

There was once a saying: "If you want to keep something from a black man, put it in a book."

But no longer. Residents of Driekoppies, in the Malelane area of Mpumalanga, are making sure this doesn't apply to their children. They had to attend school in the neighbouring village of Middelplaas, more than 5km from Driekoppies.

Now they have their own school, Sifundzekhaya Primary, which means "we now study at our own home". The community raised a lot of the money themselves and with the backing of Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla, they were able to complete the project.

The South African Revenue Service donated 31 computers and South African Breweries gave R110000 after Makwetla appealed for help. Driekoppies falls under the Nkomazi region. The provincial Department of Health once said half the population had been affected by the HIV-Aids pandemic.