Xylem Africa and volunteers from Xylem's Watermark corporate social responsibility programme, along with local businesses and community members, spent Mandela Day making repairs and cleaning classrooms and the grounds at the Welamlambo Primary School in Thembisa, northeast of Johannesburg.

During the event, facilitated by a partnership between Xylem Africa and the GrowZA Social Investment Agency, Watermark volunteers and community members from the Welamlabo suburb gathered on the school grounds on Friday morning, 18 July 2025, bringing equipment, materials, and their skills and time to help improve the local facilities ahead of the school starting its new terms. 

Together, they spent most of the day focusing on key improvements for the school. A technical lead from Xylem led volunteers and a local plumber to fix and maintain four key water points to ensure the school's learners and staff have access to clean and functional sanitation. They repaired handwashing stations, drinking stations, and piping, sinks, and taps in the bathrooms, using materials and tools provided by Xylem Africa.

The volunteers and community members cleaned up classrooms and made touch-ups to the facilities. They also cleaned the school grounds by sweeping, mopping floors, and cleaning windows.

Welamlambo Primary School is a fee-free institution and one of the most established education facilities in Thembisa, a township located near Kempton Park in eastern Johannesburg. First established in the late 1960s in the suburb of Welamlambo, it has helped multiple generations start their education journeys. It has a staff of over 41 educators, serving nearly 1,500 pupils. 

The school does an excellent job running and maintaining its facilities. Xylem Africa and its partner GrowZA opted to reinforce their efforts for Mandela Day 2025. The annual event, started in 2008 by liberation icon and South Africa's first democratic president Nelson Mandela, urges South Africans to help uplift others by spending a portion of their time in community and volunteer activities.

The focus is on practical tasks that make a real difference, says Craig Kensley, founder of GrowZA:

"Every year we celebrate former President Nelson Mandela's birthday by devoting some of our time to help improve other people's lives. The Welamlambo Primary School is a central part of life here in Thembisa, having helped many locals advance their education. As learners prepare for their next semester, we looked at how we can help make their experiences better. After consulting with the school's leadership, we decided to focus on improving the water and sanitation facilities and making the classrooms and grounds more appealing."

Watermark's volunteers enjoyed the event, mingling with locals and bringing beauty and function to the school grounds. It was a powerful way to spend Mandela Day and help improve the lives of people in Thembisa, the second-largest township in Johannesburg. 

Xylem Africa and Watermark will continue living up to the legacy not just on 18 July but across the year, says Chetan Mistry, Xylem Africa's strategy and marketing manager:

"Giving back to local communities and supporting their efforts to improve their environments are crucial corporate citizen responsibilities for us, especially when it comes to water. Access to clean water is a basic human right but one that we all play a part in. Helping communities such as the people of Welamlambo enjoy secure access to water is also an opportunity to help them take control and stewardship over this valuable resource. It helps the pupils build their education and their understanding that water is everyone's responsibility. 

It also means a huge amount to Xylem's people, "Our staff who volunteer to Watermark events love giving time back to communities and reinforcing the purpose they feel when solving water-related challenges. We're honoured to help participate in improving Welamlambo Primary School, and we'll continue with such projects throughout the year as schools, community gardens, and other opportunities."