1 346 bottles of water are on their way to CT
FOURWAYS – Crawford schools across Gauteng pulled together to collect bottled water to send down to the Western Cape. Find out how they did it.
In two weeks, Gauteng Crawford schools managed to collect hundreds of bottles of water to be sent to the needy in the Western Cape.
“We started collecting on 7 February,” explained Monique McLeary, a mother of two at Crawford Preparatory Fourways. “I received one of those viral Whatsapp messages from a woman named Thalita Kumi, who is mother to a small baby, about the need for water and brought the idea of a collection to Ian Rothman, the principal at the school.”
Several Crawford schools – those in Fourways, Lonehill, Pretoria and Rivonia – began a drive to collect bottled water from their children and staff, and soon local businesses like the Fourways Farmer’s Market, Digi-litho and Fourways Gardens Spar joined in too.
“We managed to collect 1 346 bottles of water. I am overwhelmed with the response,” explained McLeary. “Our donations will be given to three distinct causes – old age homes and the elderly, special needs schools and finally, it will be given to families who need it to make formula for their babies.
“On most of the water bottles, the children who did the donations also wrote little messages of hope for the people of Cape Town.”
On 13 February, the bottled water was all collected at Crawford Preparatory Fourways. Schoolchildren helped load the donations into a truck that belongs to Gift of the Givers. Crawford Pretoria used their school bus and a bakkie to transport their 500 donations to the school as well.
“From here the water will be transported in the large truck to a warehouse owned by Gift of the Givers,” explained Tasneem Evans of Crawford Schools. “And then later this week it will be driven down to the Western Cape by Gift of the Givers and they’ll see it distributed among those who need it.”
Ian Rothman, the principal of Crawford Preparatory Fourways, was very proud of the hard work that the schoolchildren and their families did during this drive. “Crawford really cares. To me, I think the youth of today need to understand the importance of sustainability and the impact that we can have on our environment.
“This drive was not planned before it launched, but it was definitely in line with our values and I’m glad that we could help.”
Rothman concluded that he hoped the children understood that one should help others, not for what one can get from it but because of what one can give.
Details: www.crawfordschools.co.za
