Helping ‘poor black children’ the right way

IN my time as a journalist I have covered numerous stories of people doing charity work, ostensibly to ‘help poor black children’. Sadly, more often than not, what I have seen are people doing the bare minimum.

I spot them as I enter the door: they will give the ‘poor black children’  hand-me-downs, even though they might have received donations of brand new clothing. If they are running a school of some sorts, they will use charts that are tattered and torn.

I even went to a function once where the charity workers had set about feeding the Grade 1s of a particular school. They served samp and beans but failed to provide cutlery, and the little Grade 1s were scooping the food up with their fingers.

So when the Northglen News arrived at Waterloo Primary School and saw the tutors from Open a Book for a Child in action, we were delighted. The children, aged between seven and eight years old, sat diligently listening to the tutors, who aim to improve their reading. Their dedication to improving the reading skills of the ‘poor black children’ is evident.

Volunteer, Maddy Loynes, showed us the games and reading material that are meticulously packed in the classroom and have been set aside for the reading lessons. The classroom is spacious, and the charts on the wall are not only interesting but also well taken care of. But most of all, I saw children eager and happy to learn.

Fortunately the Durban North area is home to several organisations that go the extra mile and are not happy with the bare minimum. Check out this piece on The Domino Foundation and other organisations in the Northglen News area that are equally as dedicated as the men and women from Open a Book for a Child.

Check out next week’s Northglen News for details on how you can become a volunteer at Open a Book for a Child.