The learners of Crocodile Valley Primary School received food parcels from Nicholas Skakal (16) on Wednesday July 17.
According to Nicholas, a learner of Curro Nelspruit, the donations were part of his school project to give back to those in need, especially the children who reside on farms around Mbombela. The food was donated to learners to eat at home.
“It gives me great pleasure to have donated the food to the learners and to know that they will be fed after school when they get home. No kid should go to bed on an empty stomach. I chose this school because most of the learners come from destitute families,” he said.
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This young philanthropist said Crocodile Valley Primary School is close to his heart as he used to play soccer there with some of the learners. He saw how some of them were suffering and they told him that there is no food at home.
“I would like to thank the shoppers at Crossing SUPERSPAR for their generous donations. I would also like to thank Crossing SUPERSPAR and the SPAR Distribution Centre for donating food to these kids and their families. I now call on local businesses to assist the school in building a proper toilet, as it does not have one on the premises. The learners are using toilets at nearby farms, which could be dangerous for them,” he said.
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The principal, Simphiwe Ngwenya, said she is extremely grateful for the donations as some of the kids only get the food they receive at school.
“It is always difficult to teach learners who are hungry, and some of them only feel happy at school, but when it’s time to go home, it’s a different story, because they know there is no food at home. With this donation, we hope to make a difference. I am also asking members of the public to assist the school with a proper toilet for the staff and the learners,” she said.
Anyone who wants to donate towards building a toilet for the school can contact 078 294 2913 or 078 459 9170.