On Monday, 3rd of August, iThemba preschool opened it's bright blue doors to the first of many children. This is a dream come true for the staff and supporters of iThemba Projects, that has been working toward this goal since the Nkosi (chief) of Sweetwaters gave a piece of land to them 8 years ago, with the request that they build a community centre and a creche on it. The preschool, built by locals using the rammed earth method, is spacious and beautiful and will eventually be able to accommodate 70 preschoolers. The classroom is filled with toys, bright books and giggles of children at play. The playground, overlooking the hills and valleys so typical of Sweetwaters, is a happy place with jungle gyms, stumps to climb on and a slide down to the next terrace for those who prefer speed to steps. But the best of all is the little people, and the knowledge that through this school, iThemba can further their vision to bring hope to the people of Mpumuza / Sweetwaters. Because we believe that good enough never is (really good enough), the school will be a centre of excellence where not only the attending children can receive top-quality education from dedicated staff, but also a place where other teachers can come to be inspired and trained and have access to teaching resources. We are grateful to all the donors who made this possible, not least to Vodacom who, through their Change The World programme, has placed Chrissie van Niekerk at iThemba for the year, to work as Early Childhood Programme Developer and take the new preschool to new heights."News supplied by iThemba Projects.