A team of volunteers from Mpac’s Corrugated factory in Kuils River gathered at the Kalkfontein Primary School sports fields on Wednesday 10 December to upgrade the grounds for the local school children and surrounding community.
With the generous support of Stodels Garden Centre, Milnerton the team from Mpact, a leading paper and plastics packaging company, planted 40 fast-growing indigenous shady trees. These trees were planted on the borders of the field to improve its overall appearance and to provide parents and spectators with shady spots for school sports days and during break for the school children.
The field is also used as a playground, but it slopes, is bumpy and the grass is patchy. The staff from the Kuils River factory put in hours of work planting and weeding and doing their best to make the field as useable as possible for the children. Celia Leibbrandt, HR Manager of Kuils River, reported that next year’s project will involve further levelling of the field, planting grass and installing an irrigation system. There is also a serious mole problem which will need serious attention to prevent further damage.
She encourages local business in Kuils River to contact her should they want to be part of this project and assist in uplifting their community.
Mpac’s Corrugated division, which makes boxes and packaging material for brands such as Distell, I&J, Tiger Brands and Nestle, is going to help the school children to start a garden club. In this way they will learn to take care of their field and gardens for themselves.
When schools start again in the New Year, Stodels Garden Centre will help teach gardening techniques. The children will then be allocated sections to care for. Mpact staff will act as mentors while the company will provide prizes each quarter to the top gardeners.
Peter Smith, the General Manager of Mpact’s corrugated factory in Kuils River, says this project was identified as something close to the hearts of staff and which all could be practically involved in. "We have been operating for many years within this community and we are always keen to show our involvement in practical ways," he said. He added that this is just one of many ways in which Mpact supports the local community, which is central to the company’s corporate social responsibility approach.
