De La Salle Holy Cross College learners inducted into the JJC

VICTORY PARK – Learners carry on a tradition of over 20 years of the school's participation in the Johannesburg Junior Council.

April 7, 2019

Bonakele Sithole 1 minute read

Outgoing councillors Alice Markam and Gabrielle Gormally accept their certificates and pass their badges of office to the incoming councillors. Photo: Supplied

Melina Manferdini and Gemma Ham from De La Salle Holy Cross College were inducted on 11 March as the councillors for 2019 after the outgoing Johannesburg Junior Councillors (JJC) of 2018 had a year full of successful projects and outreach.

Meryl Hamilton, subject head for English at the school said, “Melina Manferdini and Gemma Ham were inducted on the 11th of March as the councillors for 2019 and continue on a tradition of over 20 years of De La Salle Holy Cross College High School’s participation in the Johannesburg Junior Council.”

Each year, the two elected councillors from the school join representatives from over 40 schools all over Johannesburg to formulate projects that these young people believe are needed in their communities and South Africa as a whole. As part of the JJC last year the councillors, Gabriella Gormally and Alice Markham, had meetings twice a month, hosting prestigious guest speakers and brainstorming projects.

Incoming councillors for this year, Melina Manferdini and Jemma Ham from De La Salle Holy Cross College in Grade 11. Photo: Supplied

The Dean Walt Carnival – a fun day hosted for young children from underprivileged backgrounds and Madiba Day celebrations – forms part of the year’s activities. The council also hosts senior citizens for an afternoon of entertainment and a hot meal. As well as these set events, the councillors can organise their own projects based on the needs they identify in the community and the issues that they are passionate about. Among others, this includes visits to old age and children’s homes and the SPCA, sandwich drives, mental health awareness campaigns and self-defence classes. These events occur within the committees of advocacy, outreach, sports and recreation, arts and culture, and environment.

One the major events of last year, hosted by the Advocacy Committee, was a sanitary hygiene drive for impoverished young women and girls who may miss out on education due to their lack of access for sanitary products. The drive raised R55 766 towards buying reusable sanitary pads from Dignity Dreams as well as collecting 1 980 disposable pads, which were donated to the organisation Kids Haven.

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