As water supply challenges continue to affect communities across South Africa, access to a reliable water source remains essential for protecting public health, maintaining hygiene and ensuring that learning can continue without disruption.
For learners and teachers at Boikhutsong Secondary School in Limpopo, a newly installed borehole is set to provide a more dependable water supply, benefiting both the school and the surrounding community.
According to Statistics South Africa’s latest General Household Survey, only 28.6% of households in the province reported uninterrupted water supply, highlighting the need for practical, sustainable solutions to improve water security.
The borehole was officially handed over through a partnership between Bonitas Medical Fund, Gift of the Givers, Sibanye-Stillwater and the Sibanye-Stillwater Foundation, bringing together organisations from the healthcare, humanitarian and mining sectors to address a fundamental community need.
“Water is something many of us take for granted until we don’t have it,” says Lee Callakoppen, Principal Officer of Bonitas Medical Fund. “For schools, reliable access to clean water is essential. It affects everything from hygiene and sanitation to the ability to provide a safe, healthy environment where children can focus on learning.”
Water security is a public health issue
Water insecurity is not simply an infrastructure challenge. It has far-reaching implications for public health, particularly in communities where interruptions to supply can compromise hygiene, sanitation and everyday wellbeing.
“At Bonitas, we recognise that improving health goes beyond providing access to medical care,” explains Callakoppen. “The environment in which people live and learn plays an equally important role. When communities have access to basic necessities such as clean water, we are helping address some of the underlying factors that influence their health and quality of life.”
The initiative builds on Bonitas’ longstanding partnership with Gift of the Givers, which has supported similar water infrastructure projects at Kalafong Hospital in Pretoria, Cwebeni in the Eastern Cape and Boitekong Community Health Centre in Rustenburg.
Callakoppen also acknowledged the contributions of Gift of the Givers, led by Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Sibanye-Stillwater and the Sibanye-Stillwater Foundation.
“South Africa’s water challenges require practical solutions and collective action. Partnerships like these demonstrate how organisations can pool their resources and expertise to make a tangible difference where it matters most.”
The new borehole is expected to strengthen water security at Boikhutsong Secondary School and support the surrounding community, contributing to improved hygiene, healthier learning conditions and greater dignity.
