After more than 20 years of operating in aging, outdated facilities, the Anne Bakkerschool, located on Helena Christinaweg, has officially reopened the doors to its fully renovated school campus, marking a major milestone for local primary education in the region.
The comprehensive renovation project, made entirely possible through grant funding from the Stichting Staatsolie Foundation for Community Development Fund, has upgraded 20 existing classrooms and completely replaced the campus’s outdated sanitation infrastructure. The upgrades have transformed the learning environment for the school’s nearly 550 enrolled students, who now learn in a space that is both safer and aligned with modern educational standards.
The scope of work extended far beyond surface-level improvements, combining critical structural maintenance with full modernization of the entire complex. Construction crews from local firm 3J’S Mac Aannemingsbedrijf repainted every interior and exterior surface of the campus, replaced aging infrastructure including damaged ceilings, wire mesh, roof gutters, and aging entry doors. Two entirely new restroom facilities were constructed—one for male students and a separate dedicated facility for teaching and administrative staff—while all remaining existing sanitation systems were fully gutted and renovated. Even the school’s historic main building, a landmark in the local community, received a deep structural cleaning to preserve its integrity for future generations of students.
For school principal Angela Rangoe, the completed project is far more than just an upgraded building—it is an investment in the future of every child that walks through the school’s doors. “A school is so much more than brick and mortar,” Rangoe explained in a statement following the project’s completion. “It is the space where children grow, build skills, and prepare for whatever future they choose to pursue. This investment has given our students a safe, well-maintained, and inspiring place to learn, and it has created a far more comfortable working environment for all of our staff as well.”
Rangoe also extended special recognition to Clyde Cairo, the project coordinator assigned to the renovation by the Stichting Staatsolie Foundation for Community Development Fund, praising his consistent on-site guidance and support that kept the project on track from start to finish. School leadership emphasized that without the foundation’s financial and logistical backing, the long-awaited renovation would not have been possible, highlighting the critical role of community-focused development funding in improving public education access and quality.