Project gains momentum to collect school bags

The founder of Hands of Love, Catherine Versveld, who is a former resident from the south of Johannesburg, has recently launched a school bag project in conjunction with Pastor Basil Meintjes and Pastor John van Breda from Calvary Christian College.

The CHRONICLE/COURIER/RECORD recently caught up with Versveld to find out a bit more about the project and her plans for the future of Hands of Love.

Versveld said, “I started Hands of Love from a heart of wanting to help. I’ve been involved as a volunteer in a few things and wondered why I am always waiting for others to do things to make a difference. I’ve got your Bag is a school bag drive we started at the end of 2021, encouraging parents and children to donate their old school bags.

“We have also received a few donations from individuals without children. The majority of children in under-resourced communities are walking kilometres every day just to get to school.

“They don’t have bags to carry their books in and are using plastic bags. We all know how heavy school bags can be. By you donating your old school bag at the end of the year, you could help a child in need that will last a long time.”

Ever growing
The project was started with just four drop off points in Johannesburg but has expanded to five and another four drop off points in Cape Town.

Versveld said, “School bags and school equipment, in general, is very expensive and parents struggle to give their children the things they need to start the New Year. Just recently, one of the teachers on our team was telling us how within the first three days of school, many parents pull their children out of school simply because they cannot afford the things they need.

“This honestly breaks our heart. Education is so important to us. One of our ongoing projects for 2022 is eThembeni, a crèche and reading centre that is in the process of being built in Jacksonville informal settlement by Meintjes and van Breda. They are true pastors with hearts to just make a difference in the community.

“eThembeni is one of the beneficiaries of all the drives Hands of Love will be doing throughout the year. We are hoping to get this up and running as soon as possible, with help from the public.”

A total of 150 school bags has been collected so far.

Show support
If you want to support this project you can drop off your old bag at the RECORD / COURIER / CHRONICLE offices situated at 1 Eaton Terrace. ground floor of the Terrace Building, New Redruth, Alberton

The project closes on Monday, January 31. The next project, which is starting in February for Hands of Love is called Read to Succeed, where the organisation will collect books to help stop illiteracy in schools.