Loose change for education
ROOSEVELT PARK – Children from Rens turn loose change into education, by collecting R1 100 for their Ladybird Bursary Fund.
Children from Roosevelt Extension Nursery School (Rens) have raised over R1 100 in coins for the school’s Ladybird Bursary Fund.
School secretary Lee-Anne Hodge said that the Rens Governing Body established the official bursary fund as part of the school’s social responsibility programme, as they could see that there was a growing need in the community. Hodges said this year the school introduced the opportunity for the children themselves to enable another child to enjoy what they have been fortunate enough to experience at Rens by collecting loose change to fill the Ladybird Bursary Fund money jar.
“This fund grants children in the Roosevelt Park and surrounding community, whose families cannot afford school fees, the privilege of attending the nursery school,” Hodge said. She pointed out that because Rens did not receive any government funding, the school prioritised fundraising with the help of its community, parents and private business.
She explained that Rens was a community owned school and has been around for 51 years. “It’s such a great initiative to have little people collecting money for another little person to attend the school,” she said. “We have parents, who used to attend here, bringing their own children here and carrying on the tradition of Rens,” Hodge added. She pointed out that they had three children on their bursary waiting list and the school now just needed enough money in their account to admit the children.
Hodge said it took the children just seven weeks, to collect over R1 100 for the wellbeing of other children in their community. Hodge pointed out that both the management and the Governing Body at Rens were overjoyed at the response of the children and were very proud of their achievement. Principal of Rens, Carol Weideman said that it was wonderful when children, as young as two to six year old, fundamentally understand that there are other children out there who are less fortunate and undertook the responsibility to lift them up.
Related article:
GALLERY: Grandparents honoured at Wonderland
