When Mario van Niekerk became a father in 2001, he was living in a community entrenched in gang-warfare and suffering from broken homes, unemployment, poverty, and drugs. In response, he founded the GCU to create change in the Heideveld community where he still lives.
Multi-classroom Montessori ECD centre
After a childhood involved in gang activity, Mario was all too familiar with the challenges that the youth of the Heideveld community faced. Instead of moving to safer pastures with his young family, Mario decided to create change in the community – where he lives to this day. He founded the non-profit organisation, Greater Commission United (GCU), whose mission it is:
To provide “life-changing sporting and education opportunities to disadvantaged, impoverished youth between the ages of 7 and 18 years. The primary aim of GCU is to guard against youth gangsterism within the Heideveld community by motivating students with positive and productive alternatives and academic support.”
The GCU achieves this through a variety of initiatives that provide organised activities in safe spaces including sport, life skills, tutoring, literacy and feeding schemes.
Like so many communities, Heideveld has a shortage of ECD centres and many local parents can’t afford or do not understand the importance of early childhood development. GCU has established a small creche which is accessible and affordable, and property has been acquired to build a larger centre.
The Natural Building Collective has once again joined forces with the GCU and Uthando SA to build a multi-classroom Montessori ECD centre for up to 100 local youth and the training of local teachers. The design of the Heideveld Edu-Hub is carefully considered to establish a sustainable early childhood development centre that will provide critical support to the local community.
Creating sustainable change, naturally
Like the successful Ulwazi ECD centre, the new sustainable early childhood development centre in Heideveld will be constructed using eco-friendly materials and innovative building techniques.
The founder of the Centre for Early Childhood Development, a highly respected Professor and ECD Thought Leader, Eric Atmore visited our other project, Ulwazi Educare, which he described as being in the top 1% of the best and more creative ECDs that he had seen in his entire career:
I have visited and worked with many hundreds of ECD centres. Ulwazi for me is right up there at the top. It is brilliantly designed, colourful, child-friendly and spacious. It is ideal for young children who can only thrive in the Ulwazi environment. While walking around it is clear that the teachers are committed and active. The children were all busy with their work. Ms Patiswa Bangani shines as the principal as she moves around the centre. Ulwazi is an early childhood development centre that offers young children the best of opportunities and is and makes one proud to be African. – Prof Eric Atmore
Our mission is to advance the cause of sustainable building, and we reckon we might as well do as much good along the way as possible. In Cape Town there are over 18,000 children that don’t get access to proper early childhood development. As a result, these kids are at a disadvantage when they go to school, which has a knock-on effect for society-at-large… As reflected in diminished educational outcomes, reduced income, higher joblessness, greater dependence on government aid, and perpetuated cycles of poverty that hinder both economic and social advancement.
We believe that by providing a stimulating and healthy environment built with natural and sustainable materials our ECD centres can break this cycle!
Sustainable building builds community
We’ll be using +- 5000 rammed earth tyres to create the walls with eco brick and glass bottle details, cob, and natural plasters.
The footprint of the new building is +-750sqm and will encompass two outdoor play areas equipped with astro-turf, natural landscaping, and a jungle gym. The ECD will have four generous classrooms, an admin annex with office and reception areas, and a service building which will include a staff room, dining room, kitchen and laundry area, while the first floor will serve as a residential unit for the school principal.
The costs of conventional building are typically externalised, meaning a lot of the work is done off-site in manufacturing materials like bricks and cement. This process does not directly benefit the local community as these factories are most often not near the building site.
In contrast, sustainable building requires that a far greater proportion of the work is done onsite. Because tyre building requires a lot of physical work, more local people are employed for the duration of the project, learning new skills and the money goes where it is really needed, the community.
Creating a Brighter Future Together
The Heideveld Edu-Hub is more than just a building project—it’s a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change. By establishing a state-of-the-art ECD centre in Heideveld, we’re not only providing essential infrastructure for a community in need but also directly impacting the lives of 100 children and their families.
The centre is designed with climate change in mind, utilising sustainable building materials and techniques that set a new standard for environmental responsibility. Inside, the space will be thoughtfully crafted to stimulate and inspire young minds, ensuring a nurturing and engaging environment for early learning.
The Edu-Hub will serve as a showcase for innovative, eco-friendly construction practices in the public sector, proving that sustainability and community development go hand-in-hand. By supporting the creation of this sustainable early childhood development centre, we are not only addressing immediate educational needs but also fostering a legacy of positive change for generations to come.