Veer Steel Mills launches feeding programme at Hawks Academy
“We are grateful for the food programme and are so happy the borehole is finished. This means a lot to us as a school,” said Mkhonto.
Veer Steel Mills launched its first school feeding programme at Hawks Academy last week Friday.
“This programme is an effort to create a better learning experience for disadvantaged children with the priority of serving children and ensuring a better quality of learning in schools,” said Kgotsofalang Mashilo, corporate affairs liaison of Alfeco Group.
Mashilo said many children in South Africa go to school on empty stomachs due to the food insecurity that is ongoing in the country, and this can hinders how they socialise and retain information in school.
“Now more than ever, the onus is on everyone to affect change in communities in which we live or work. Devastating ramifications of Covid-19 were seen when schools shut down following the state-mandated hard lockdown,” said Mashilo.
“This rendered children who rely on school feeding schemes for daily meals without recourse. Through VSFP, we aim to change feeding infrequencies exacerbated by the coronavirus by providing nutritious school meals to about 1 200 Hawk Academy learners on a Monday to Friday basis,” said Mashilo.
In addition to the food programme, Veer Steel Mills administered the installation of a variable speed booster pump and donated two 10 000L water tanks to the school’s pre-existing borehole.
The borehole infrastructure was drilled and installed by Abcon Group Foundation. The two organisations ensured the school continues to have reliable running water.
Hawks Academy principal Agnes Mkhonto said the completion of the borehole by Veer Steel Mills means the children can enjoy clean, safe drinking water, and the introduction of the food programme will allow the learners to be less worried about learning on empty stomachs and give their academics the focus it requires.
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“Some of our learners come to school on an empty stomach; this meal might be the only meal they receive for the day. We are grateful for the food programme and are so happy the borehole is finished. This means a lot to us as a school,” said Mkhonto.
During the launch, Mrs SA semi-finalist Thembi Sambo gave a motivational talk on anti-bullying in schools, using her story of how she was bullied when she was in school.
“In South Africa, about 57 per cent of people will have experienced bullying in respective levels of their schooling career. Bullying can debilitate a child’s growth and stop them from aspiring to see a life after the trauma of being bullied. “I aim to encourage children to speak out on bullying and further reclaim their lives by dreaming, even if it seems impossible or limited by circumstances,” said Sambo.
She also commended Veer Steel Mills for the food programme.
“What Veer Steel Mills had done for the school means a child will be inspired to stay in school. No child should go hungry.”
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za
