On Thursday afternoon, the 17th of July 2025, the City of Cape Town handed Sir Lowry’s Pass Creative Development (SLPCD) the keys to the restored Old Tappie back.
Our temporary havens
We are thankful that we could use the SLP Sport Clubhouse and 4The1’s Container and stoep, while the restoration took place over the past 5 months. During the July School Holidays, the juniors “checked up” on the maintenance guys daily to ensure they stayed on schedule so that we could move back into the Old Tappie on time.
The move and preparation
On Mandela Friday, the 18th of July 2025, we were helped by the ladies of the new Community Neighbourhood Watch to clean up. They did more than the usual Mandela Time. We moved our school desks and other furniture out of storage to get Gravitas@Tappie ready for the new school term, which starts on Tuesday, the 22nd of July.
We are excited to be back
The learners came early, on the 22nd, all excited to see their new classroom. They helped to put the last educational posters on the wall.
Our alarm system and cameras were installed; our classroom is safe and secure with a 24/7 watch. We have a proper Wi-Fi installation, now we are ready to learn and get our education. No more packing and unpacking daily.
Now it is OUR classroom that will change, develop and grow with us.
We cannot emphasize enough how much we appreciate all the support
Thanks to the incredible generosity of Checkers/Shoprite for our laptops and printer. We thank private donors who made it possible to get essential stationery for our learners. Helderberg Primary School for our school furniture. All investments make a substantial difference.
These donations are more than just supplies. It’s a statement that learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings, and that every child deserves the tools to dream, create, and thrive. This support helps us do just that. Checkers donates food weekly to our Learners’ households to ensure that the village children are fed to improve their learning potential. Your support is essential because Gravitas@Tappie has grown significantly since the term started, with three new pupils joining over the last two weeks. More applications must go through the Assessment Testing process. We are additionally thankful to Sir Lowry’s Pass Library for allowing us to have books on behalf of the learners. We are grateful for the use of the Community Hall for activities in the afternoons for the whole community.
We are thankful for the villagers who walked by and welcomed us back, taking a moment to comment on the ‘NEW’ old Tappie. We always welcome visits from the community.
Thank you Barbara & Sheryl
A lot of prayers and wonderful Partners made it happen. :).
Louisa and everybody who helped, you are an inspirational force in a troubled world. Congratulations! It has required so much dedication and persistent effort to make this happen. You enact God’s grace in the world.
The learners are going to grow from strength to strength.
Well, well done!
Well done Louisa. You’ve reached the goal for this Centre/ facility. I trust that this will be useful and resourceful for the community. May those who have been identified benefit from it. God bless with all your endeavors
Thank you Barbara
A lot of prayers and wonderful Partners made it happen. :).