Crossroads Distribution is adopting the Dr Nelson R Mandela High School in Crossroads Township, near Philippi in the Western Cape. The aims are to help it with funding and to promote a learning culture in the school.

Like all new guardians, the main concern is to ensure that the children are kept safe in a secure environment.

In response to the call from the Ministry of Education, we will be helping them with renovating and painting the school, and installing stone guards with steel mesh for security purposes.

There were many reasons for choosing this school, but the obvious one was its location in a place called Crossroads Township. The location reflects and reinforces awareness of our own company name, while there is also the association with Nelson Mandela and all the ideals he stands for - the kind of courage and tenacity in the face of adversity that wins through in the end.

The school started in 1989 as Sebenza Secondary School, with about 800 learners from grades 8 to 12. The name was later changed to Dr Nelson R Mandela High School and the school has grown to accommodate 1 450 learners, 41 educators and five non-teaching staff members.

Situated in a poverty-stricken area with very high levels of unemployment, drug abuse, gangsterism and many other social ills, there is a high school drop-out rate, truancy, teen pregnancies and other anti-social behaviour patterns in evidence at the school.

Despite no sporting facilities, the school has produced some WP athletes and rugby players who qualified for Craven Week. The choir has also excelled and was invited to sing at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

The school's academic record is improving, judging by its matriculation pass rate which has increased from 46% in 2007, to 48% in 2008 and 50% in 2009. However, learners still have problems with mathematics and science subjects, so the school has started offering extra classes on Saturdays and during the school holidays.

This sponsorship is in line with the company's Corporate Social Investment (CSI) guidelines which concentrate on areas that help communities sustain their most vulnerable citizens. We are committed to the advancement of education and higher learning and we recently donated R1m to UNISA to fund post-graduate study in Transport and Logistics studies.