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The latest winner in the annual My Dream Park competition has its new park. The playground at Mayibuye Primary School in Midrand has been opened for play.
The children of Mayibuye Primary School asked for – and received – a round-about and slide
THE dry and dusty playground at Mayibuye Primary School has been turned into an inviting green oasis, with newly planted trees, a water feature, bins, benches, new swings and slides, and a volley ball court.
The Midrand school last year won the My Dream Park competition, and its new garden was officially opened on Thursday, 23 October.
Through the competition, the school received R250 000 for its dream garden; second placed, Dobsonville's Thathezakho Primary School, was given R150 000; and Pimville's Winnie Ngwekazi Primary School, in third place, won prize money of R100 000.
Every year Johannesburg City Parks and the Gauteng department of education hold a citywide competition in which schoolchildren design their dream school park .The aim is to educate youngsters about how urban greening can improve quality of life. It also encourages learners to explore their artistic skills.
Thursday's event started the school choir singing songs composed for the My Dream Park sponsors - City Parks and Total South Africa; some R500 000 comes from the fuel company.
"The competition has not only helped the children, but it has also taught them the value of the environment," said Total South Africa chairperson, Zodwa Manase. "We appeal to the learners to be responsible for keeping the facilities the way they are. They must protect and preserve the environment."
City Park's MD Luther Williamson officially opens the Mayibuye Primary School's dream park
His sentiments were echoed by Luther Williamson, the managing director of City Parks. "I encourage all the children to follow their dreams and never to be discouraged," he said.
"We need such talent in our midst, because we don't have many landscape architectures in South Africa."
Williamson also promised the five learners who drew the winning poster internship programmes in the company.
"I'm happy beyond description," said Gontse Buthelezi, one of the five.
Khazamula Mathebula, an art teacher at Mayibuye Primary School could not contain his excitement. "This is like a dream come true. We first entered the competion in 2006 and didn't make it. But now that we won the first prize I'm really happy and I also feel proud of my students."
The competition first took place in 2004, and today 10 schools have parks out of it.
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