Sekusile Primary School received 213 uniform packs for girls from Sasol last Tuesday. The uniforms, tunics and socks were handed over during a ceremony graced by Sasol, local businesses, parents, the school governing body and other stakeholders.
The learners went all out in celebration of the big day. They prepared plays, choral music, dances and poems.
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Sasol said this formed part of its support for quality education, and this gesture was to encourage young girls to take pride in their uniforms and academics. “We want to inspire and encourage young children to become active members of society, hence our involvement with schools such as this one today. We have donated the uniforms here because we understand that the future will only be bright if we invest well in the young generation. The uniforms they are receiving now might seem like a small thing, but we could have the next president or the person who might come up with a permanent solution to load-shedding right in our midst. Uniforms give the learners a sense of belonging,” said Rethabile Ndjibu, the social impact manager at Sasol.
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Ndjibu said they have an open-door policy. “We have a facility in Komatipoort, and our pipeline passes through some of the areas here. Suffice it to say that we understand the community’s needs very well, especially the schools. This is not the first donation we are giving to Sekusile Primary. Years ago, we came to fix the leaking roofs in some of the classrooms. We have worked with schools such as Mjokwane, which is a neighbour to this one, when we gave R1 000 to Grade 12 learners for each distinction they achieved. This helped them with their university registrations.”
The school principal, Esther Nkuna, said the day was made possible by the strong relationship she has with the school’s stakeholders.
“We are grateful to the parents of the children that come to school every day. The SGB works very well with the school. But mostly we are grateful to Sasol who came all the way from Secunda to make sure these girls are properly dressed in decent uniforms. This will go a long way. Whenever we reach out for support, Sasol is always ready to lend a hand,” she said.
She also acknowledged the support from local businesses.
Mshika Funerals made a pledge to buy school uniform for the boys. “I am feeling a sense of shame that Sasol came all the way from Secunda to make such a huge donation. On behalf of the business personnel here today, I promise that we will come together to buy uniforms for the boys. We will follow Sasol’s lead,” said Popi Ngomane of Mshika Funerals.