Schoolchildren raise funds for the less fortunate

BEVERLEY – After being inspired by a Nelson Mandela Day visit, the children of The Bridge School have collected a number of donations for the less fortunate.

August 28, 2019

Robyn Kirk 1 minute read

Back: Danielle van Dalen and Tazania Hussain. Front: Ishaan Maharaj and Jessica de Sousa show off a few of the donations collected by their school.

For one local school, Mandela Day was a springboard to live with more empathy.

Jaci Tibbit, a finalist in the Mrs. African United Continent 2020 pageant and an ambassador for the RoleModels Foundation, visited The Bridge School in Beverley on Mandela Day (18 July) as part of the Poverty Sucks campaign.

This visit saw the children buy suckers from her to raise funds for the foundation, but also served a second purpose – to inspire them to start thinking about others and come up with their own ways to help the less fortunate.

Jack Tibbit, Jadin Dudley-Owen, Sihle Radebe, Inathi Mzileni, Jamilyn Straub and Tate Hodnett hold just a few of the items that their school collected.

“When I was here giving out the suckers on Mandela Day, I had a talk with the children about what poverty means and what life is like for children who aren’t as lucky,” Tibbit told Fourways Review. “As we talked, the children started thinking of their own ways to help others.”

The children of the school which offers remedial education to grades 0 through 7 and is located in Beverley, decided to begin collecting useful items that could also be distributed to those in need, a result that Tibbit was excited about.

“I’m very happy and grateful that the children decided to do more,” she said. “I hoped my talk would help them to feel empathy for others. For me, this was not just about the goods but also about what children feel for those less fortunate.”

Jaci Tibbit (wearing sash) wanted to inspire the children of The Bridge School to think of less fortunate children. *Photos: Robyn Kirk*

Until 16 August, the children collected a number of items to donate including non-perishable food, shoes, toys, books, and clothing. Tibbit returned to the school to collect the donations and thank the children for their work.

“We were very happy to see the children enthusiastically participating in this drive,” said Gareth Martin, a teacher at The Bridge School. “We hope that it reminds them to reach out and think about others.

“It’s wonderful to see the children care so much about other children, and not just in their own community. We can’t change all of South Africa at once, but we can help one child at a time.”

The donated goods were given to the Infundo Educare organisation in Gomora in a handover on 20 August.

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