Everest Primary School is located in Newclare, Johannesburg

Everest Primary School is located in Newclare, Johannesburg – a community facing serious challenges with gang violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and high unemployment. The students don’t take part in after-school activities because they have to go straight home when school is finished for the day. Everest Primary is a no-fees school and is currently struggling because the government has not yet paid this year’s school subsidy.

ABCA previously donated books to the school in 2021. Since then, there were protests at the school and parts of the buildings were vandalised – including the library, where many books went missing.

The librarian, Mr Rigney, who had already retired, was asked to come back to the school to rebuild the library and run programmes to improve literacy and encourage reading – especially for those students who are struggling to read. Mr Rigney reached out to ABCA again, asking for more books for the library. He said that the kids were constantly asking for ‘those Australian books’.

The principal and staff were excited and deeply grateful for the new delivery of books, and thanked ABCA for making this possible.