we got featured in Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative and ANPS
Cornerstone Institute presents Athlone North Primary School with its first-ever website
An official handover event at the school in August marked the occasion and highlighted the importance of hope in the face of struggle.
In the age of technology, a website is essential to the running of a successful institution. As part of a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative, Cornerstone Institute identified Athlone North Primary School as an institution in need of its own website and undertook to create one for the school. Cornerstone Institute Chief Technical Officer Blaine Lomberg and his IT team presented a fully functional website to the Staff of Athlone North Primary at an official handover event.
Visit Athlone North’s New Website:
In his remarks to the audience, Lomberg explained the importance of putting public engagement at the heart of higher education. He commented on how important it is to inspire and educate broad audiences and to raise public awareness of digital transformation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) through innovative workshops and outreach initiatives such as website build and handover.
Athlone North Primary School is a no-fee school located in Kew Town, one of the oldest and most impoverished townships on the Cape Flats. The school was established in 1945 and currently serves almost 600 students from Kew Town and neighbouring areas such as Heideveld, Bonteheuwel and Langa. The school also serves students who travel in taxis from as far as Khayelitsha and Gugulethu.
Cornerstone Institute, a private higher education institution founded on the Cape Flats in 1970, adopted Athlone North Primary School as part of its commitment to community development and transformation during its 50th-anniversary celebrations in 2020.
In his address to the small, socially distanced crowd gathered for the Athlone North Primary website handover, Cornerstone Executive Dean Rev. Dr Rudi Buys told the audience that this project embodies the second part of the struggle slogan, A luta continua. Most people know A luta continua, meaning, ‘The struggle continues’. Lesser known, however, is the second part of the slogan: victoria ascerta, which means, ‘Victory is certain’.
According to the Dean, this second part of the slogan gives hope in the face of struggle and is what ultimately leads to lasting change. The Dean challenged the audience to move beyond acknowledging ongoing battles and instead to shift to a victory mindset. The partnership between Cornerstone and Athlone North Primary School epitomises hope and a sense of success in the face of struggle, he said.
This sentiment of hope and victory was echoed by others present at the event, including the school’s principal, Mr Brikkels. Mr Brikkels shared how important the Cornerstone partnership has been for Athlone North Primary School. This website marks the first time in its 75-year history that the school has a digital platform. It also represents the first step in the school’s efforts to be paperless, to connect digitally to alumni and its surrounding community, and to reach out to further funding opportunities that will impact the lives of its learners.
The launch of the site was met with support from the school community. Donovan Valentine, the School’s governing body chairperson and former Athlone North Primary student, who was present at the event, agreed to maintain the new website for the school.
Although the struggle continues, victory is certain when we follow Athlone North Primary School’s motto – ‘Together we can do more’ – along with Cornerstone Institute’s mission to drive change. The school’s socio-economic circumstances will not change overnight. However, if those involved see hope and victory as attainable, efforts to improve the school and the life of its students will surely continue.