Page 32 - Buzz Magazine

CSI
helping kids skate to success
August saw the opening of the rst Skateistan Skate School in South Africa, facilitated by a materials sponsorship of almost R250 000 in value from Saint-Gobain.
than 1 500 at-risk youth every week in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa.
To this end, the Skate School offers programmes to students between
the ages of 5 and 17, with a particular focus on girls and low-income youth. They get the opportunity to play and learn as part of the Skate and Create programme, or access homework help and career advice as part of the Back- To-School programme.
The exceptional among them even have a chance to join the Youth Leadership programme.
Thanks to support from the Royal Danish Embassy, Comic Relief and the Tony Hawk Foundation, more than
200 students (47% girls) have already registered for Skateistan’s programmes in Johannesburg. w
All the interiors for Skateistan’s Skate School in Johannesburg, including drywalls and ceiling systems, were
donated by Saint-Gobain.
“The internal walls feature Gyproc
HabitoTM. It’s durability and strength makes hanging items a breeze. Isover Cavitybatt insulation in the walls
and Aerolite insulation above the Rhinoboard plasterboard ceilings, make the temperature in the repurposed shipping container classrooms far more comfortable and reduces noise from the stacked oors,” said Heidi Olivier, Senior Product Manager, Gyproc.
“All these solutions are lightweight, and the drywall system was nished off with skim plaster for a ne aesthetic. These factors work together to create optimal environments for learners and teachers, with as few distractions as possible and minimal stress, which directly contributes to better learning experiences.”
Combining fun with learning
Learning experiences are what Skateistan is all about. This award- winning non-pro t organisation uses skateboarding and education for youth empowerment. It serves more
32 | BUZZ | SUMMER 2016
Hammanskraal school to get
new kitchen and clean water
Motshegofadiwa Primary School will soon boast a
new functional kitchen with clean running water, thanks to the 2015 winner of one of the categories of the Saint-Gobain Architecture for Social Gain awards.
“Kate and her team visited
three schools before deciding on Motshegofadiwa,” said Jeanette Coetzee, Corporate Communication and Events Manager.
“What impressed them most about the school was the fact that, although it is in a poor community, the school grounds are immaculate, the children are friendly, the teachers are dedicated, the principal is proud and the community is involved.”
Flexible solution
“The children were asked to dream big and draw what they wanted for their school. The main theme was water and food,” Jeanette explained.
As part of last year’s 350 year celebrations, Saint-Gobain launched the Architecture for Social
Gain awards programme. In the Adopt-a-School category, architects had to come up with proposals to build or add onto an existing school.
Kate Otten Architects was the winner of this category with their design for the Motshegofadiwa Primary School in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. The architectural solution proposed is exible so that it can work in other schools too.