Welcome to Nqweba (formerly Kirkwood), where the only thing sweeter than the citrus fruit the area is famed for is the smiles on the faces of its youngest residents.
For many of these brave little ones, the smiles are despite their dire situation as they hold onto hope for a better tomorrow.
Fortunately for primary school pupils in two impoverished communities, hope drove into town recently in the form of a convoy branded with the blue oval as Ford hosted its annual Rally to Read experience in the Eastern Cape, which Time to Torque was privileged to attend.
We wasted no time when we arrived at the company’s Struandale Engine Plant.
After a quick briefing, we went straight into the business of loading Rangers and Tourneos to the brim with everything from mobile libraries to sports equipment, laptops, projectors, educational toys and much more.
The equipment was heavy, but it would prove to be featherlight compared to the weight of our responsibility as a country — from the government to corporates, media and individuals — to help provide a conducive environment for education in every corner of SA.
The rally forms part of Ford’s partnership with the READ Educational Trust that has supported rural schools for the past 28 years.
This year’s rally supported schools in the Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman districts.
After completing an earlier three-year Rally to Read support programme in the region, Ford began a new cycle with new schools in 2025.
The 2026 rally marks the second year of the current three-year programme, which provides learning materials, teacher training and sustained classroom support to schools in underprivileged areas.
After the drivers’ briefing, we headed out to our various schools with four teams each visiting two schools in the Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman teaching districts.
Driving along the N2 and onto the R75 through to Nqweba was a breeze in our Wildtrak but as the roads gradually worsened so too did the socioeconomic circumstances of the surrounding communities.
We drove through the narrow streets of the Moses Mabida location with its mud structures and neighbourhood goats skirting the streets until we arrived at Glentana Junior Primary School — a place of learning, love and hope for little ones who welcomed us with ululation and song.
The school is small and surrounded by three taverns.
But the building inside the boundary fence is a source of pride for the community — not a single window is broken and its teachers treat each of their pupils as their own.
Performing skits, dancing and reading out loud, the pupils beamed with pride and spoke loudly as they illustrated the impact the programme has already had on each of them.
The two-hour visit offered a glimpse into the importance of laying the correct foundation to bolster children — and, ultimately, their families — to enable them to reach their potential through the power of reading and learning.
It was an experience which Ford Motor Company Africa president Neale Hill put into perspective during the event.
“When you intervene in literacy during the earliest years of education and sustain that work over decades, you are not simply running a programme,” he said.
“You are creating what we believe is a generational correction mechanism that helps unlock opportunity for children and communities over the long term.”
After waving goodbye, we weaved our way out of the township and set off on the long dusty road to Enon location on the outskirts of the citrus town.
The quiet area, resembling days of old with a Dutch-style church and original post office, came to life as our convoy made its way to a quaint building housing La Trobe Primary School, where dozens of excited youngsters sat in the hall in anticipation.
The school, home to some of the most well-mannered pupils we have encountered, sits at the end of the road.
Though it is dependent on donations and partnerships with companies such as Ford and the READ trust to elevate education, the dedication of its staff coupled with the support of the community and eagerness of its pupils have come together to make a tangible difference to their prospects.
After the equipment was handed over, the pupils took to the stage to prove their progress as a result of the educational materials and additional support in the form of READ co-ordinators and other programmes.
We were then treated to some small-town hospitality with snacks and conversation before heading back to Gqeberha.
While the pupils and staff of both schools showed immense gratitude for the brief visit and donations, it was evident that the real joy would come from the days when we would not be around.
The joy and pride of these pupils, the staff and community will come from the slow but steady steps they are able to make in the educational development of the community as a result of the Rally to Read programme, the power of reading for meaning and the opportunities that are sure to follow.