The new Dullstroom Community Centre building behind ClearVu fencing, with the land purchase signboard in front of it.
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Updated

July Update: First building complete!

By Angus Mackenzie

A walk through the DCC's first completed building: new classrooms, more bathrooms, an art station, a growing library, and the computer lab we still need to fund.

A lot has happened for the DCC over the past few months. The first building is basically complete, and the team will be moving everyone over in the coming weeks. This is going to be a huge change for everyone, and we are all beyond excited about it. A lot of space to play and to dance.

The full length of the new building seen from across the open ground, with a car parked outside.The front facade of the new building, with a covered walkway running along the classrooms.

The facilities are greatly improved compared to our old premises, with many more classrooms for folks to work in.

A large open classroom with desks, chairs, bookshelves and colourful wall charts.A brightly furnished room for the younger children, with colourful tables and chairs, toy shelves and a play mat.Another classroom set up with wooden desks and shelves of donated books along the walls.

There is also a significant increase in the number of bathrooms, and a whole art station.

A new bathroom block with a row of basins along one wall and tiled toilet cubicles.An art station with a long work bench, shapes and colours posters on the wall, and shelves of paints and materials.

And there is much better access to books, along with a whole lot more books. Here is a photo of Kae Lockwood and Patricia Maphanga going through some of the books donated to us.

Patricia Maphanga and Kae Lockwood standing at a table sorting through donated children’s books.

A wooden shelf unit labelled for games and puzzles, with books and donated DVDs stacked on the table in front of it.Two wooden bookcases packed with picture books and board games in the younger children's room.A metal shelf filled with children's readers, with dictionaries and reference books stacked on top.A blue metal cabinet holding a collection of donated films on VHS and DVD.

We are going to be developing our computer lab with the folks who set up the Bulungula Tech Centre, but we are just waiting for funding. We need around R100,000 to outfit the lab with about 15 computers. If this is something you would be comfortable helping with, please let us know.

The empty room set aside for the computer lab, with a couple of tables and a couch waiting to be arranged.

There is still work to do in finalising the building to be completely up to our standards.

A covered outdoor courtyard between two wings of the building, still being finished, with folding doors opening into a classroom.Builders working on a ladder along the side of the new building, with rubble and trenching still to be cleared.

This is a massive milestone reached for all of us, and we cannot wait for more. We would like to thank the many sponsors and supporters who have carried us over the past months and years. Special thanks to Rosie Mcculloch, Kae Lockwood, Megan Mackenzie and Lynette Barnard for unpacking and organising the new space.

Looking forward to sharing more,

Angus Mackenzie
Freelance Videographer & Photographer
Volunteer at Dullstroom Community Centre