Call 2 Inspire at Uitsig Primary School

Alex and Principal Sadie Smith in the revamped dining room

On Monday the first September, which was Spring day, our team, together with the team from Pepkor Holdings Limited spent the day at Uitsig Primary School under our Call 2 Inspire banner. 

Uitsig is a community shaped by poverty, unemployment, teenage pregnancies, and ongoing gang activity. For many of the 549 learners, the school is their only refuge, and the cooked meal they receive through the feeding scheme is often the only cooked meal they will have in a day.

Uitsig Primary School is led by the incredible Principal, Sadie Smith, who has worked in education for over three decades and has been at the helm since 2021. 

Principal Smith inherited debt from previous leadership after contracts were signed for printers and computer equipment that were later stolen. Those repayments remain, long after the equipment disappeared. Computers and tablets are not an option now; finances make them impossible, and even if they could be bought, they would not last long. 

On a practical level, the school often runs out of basics like paper, pens, crayons, and toilet paper. 

There isn’t even a school phone line; teachers use their own phones, data, and limited stipends to keep communication going and to fill the gaps.

Teaching here means far more than delivering lessons. Absenteeism is high because children are unsupervised at home, or because there is no encouragement to attend. Many arrive hungry. The staff carry the complex weight of both the classroom and the struggles of their learners. It is a daily act of courage. As Mrs Smith put it: 

'When something dangerous happens in Uitsig, my husband is the last to know. I only tell him after it’s over, because the worry would overwhelm him.' 

The reality is stark: these teachers put themselves at risk simply by showing up every morning, because they believe their learners are worth it.

Our project on Spring day was to revamp the school’s kitchen and dining hall. Together with Pepkor, we painted the spaces in calming colours, hung fresh curtains, built shelves, and stocked them with new crockery. Fun, child inspired tablecloths were laid out, and new tables and chairs transformed the dining room into a space of dignity. 

The Pepkor team prepping the dining room for the new curtains and furniture

For the children, a proper place to sit and eat matters; it signals that they, and their meal, are valued. Pepkor also supported the day by donating the furniture, crockery, curtains, and stationery, and by sponsoring a meal for all present, including learners and staff. Their team of volunteers even became librarians for a day, sorting through unorganised books in preparation for the new school library. 

As the Pepkor internal audit manager Chanique Zwartz shared: 'we chose to support Uitsig Primary because it’s right in our community; just a stone’s throw from our office. The project aligned with our Pepkor educare programme, and as a children’s retailer, we naturally have a soft spot for young learners.' 

The truth is, this project doesn’t erase the systemic issues Uitsig Primary faces. It does not cancel out the gang violence outside the school gates or ensure food security for every child who walks in hungry. But it does show what is possible when people come together to uplift a space that matters. 

It creates a moment of pride for the teachers, a message of care for the learners, and a reminder to the community that schools like Uitsig cannot be forgotten. 

This is what Call 2 Inspire stands for: community revitalisation through infrastructure revamps, creative arts, and spaces that restore identity and dignity. 

In doing so, we align our work with sustainable global goals; building sustainable communities (SDG 11) and strengthening the institutions that hold them together (SDG 16).

We left Uitsig that day tired but hopeful. The dining hall was brighter, the shelves were stacked, and the books were ready for the library. The children had a meal and a memory of adults working to make their school a better place. 

And the staff, who shoulder more than most of us can imagine, had a reminder that their work is seen and supported.

If this story has inspired you, we invite you to reach out. At a school where even the basics run short, a few rolls of toilet paper, some writing paper, or printer ink go further than you can imagine. 

Change is not about sweeping gestures; it is about showing up, together, and choosing to care and answering the call to inspire.