PLANS to build a multimillion-rand multipurpose educational centre for the youth of Walmer Township in Port Elizabeth are at an advanced stage.

Founded in 2003, the Masifunde Learner Development – a multinational organisation which is behind the initiative – is dedicated to assisting in the educational, social and personal development of motivated but disadvantaged children in Walmer Township.

Masifunde director Jonas Schumacher made public the plans to build the centre during a press conference at Walmer High School last year.

This followed a three-day conference he had held with 44 youth leaders from the township at St Francis Bay, where concrete plans for the centre were drawn up. The delegates also discussed the future of the township and its potential, and identified youth needs.

It was envisaged the centre would include a library, computer centre, cafeteria, community swimming pool, entertainment centre and a theatre.

Schumacher said yesterday: “We are going to spend about R10-million in building the centre. We have sourced about 80% of the funding already. In fact, a German automobile company is funding the whole thing.”

The organisation, which has volunteers in Germany who raise funds for it, has offices in Witbooi Street, Walmer Township, and in Main Road, Walmer.

Schumacher said about 65 youngsters representing churches, schools, sports and cultural organisations, as well as NGOs in Walmer Township, were involved in the project. On Friday and Saturday, they held workshops with two architects from Cape Town “presenting their ideas on what they want the centre to be like”.

“In fact, on Friday the pupils spent about two hours presenting their ideas of the centre to the architects. On Saturday, the architects showed their ideas to the youngsters. They reached common ground on how they could incorporate their ideas together,” Schumacher said.

He said they had a couple of plots in mind regarding where the centre would be built, “but we are still discussing (that) with the municipality”.

The organisation said its doors were open to interested local partners who wanted to team with it and offer help in any area of the centre, such as the library or the computer centre.

Schumacher, who said Masifunde planned to start construction after the Fifa World Cup in July, boasted that everything was “on track” regarding the centre.