Let us leave a legacy for our children by bestowing in them, quality education that will enable them to navigate all challenges in life.
The plea comes from Alex philanthropist Linda Twala whose charity work through the Phutadichaba Community Development Centre provides integrated services through edutainment, material items, IT, mentoring, sports, feeding and stimulation to children, youth and the elderly. Hundreds of them flock to the centre daily and leave the place undoubtedly wiser and fed. It’s the little that Twala said he can do from personal resource and support from well-wishers to who he tracks daily in a bakkie to collect donations.
Twala also operates an old funeral parlour which, besides occasional pauper burials, ensures descent and affordable send-offs to relatives of departed loved ones. The charity is part of a firm mission which includes collecting and distributing food parcels to the elderly at their homes and other residents in crisis from shack fires and displacement by flooding. “The situation is dire for many residents yet food goes to waste while many consciously or unconsciously are unable to share,” Twala said.
“Besides feeding and clothing, the best we all can do is to give poor children the gift of education to ease and curb their enduring burden of inter-generation poverty,” he said in reference to a group of children who are now part of the centre’s reading club.
He donated basic education material – exercise books, pens and crayons to them after their families were displaced by a shack fire which left hundreds of households homeless just before the festive season last year. “They are now fluent readers with clear sense and understanding of the importance of education in improving their and their families lives.
“They are confident and are able to stand their own in reading competitions.”
He emphasised the importance of literacy in denting poverty if it is introduced to children from a young age. He urged authorities and businesses to scale up support to Alexandra by building more schools in the area to reduce congestion and a high teacher-learner ratio. “It will improve teacher-pupil contact and the delivery of quality education.”
He also pleaded for tertiary facilities saying the township’s many matric graduates from local secondary schools need not go far for varsity education and training.
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