Hotdogs full of hope fill tummies in Sophiatown
Tourvest Group spent a recent morning giving learners of Laerskool Generaal Chistiaan De Wet Primary a lunchtime meal.
The celebration of Tourism Day does not only have to be through scenic views and luxury travels. It can also be through travelling to one community in effort to impact a child’s life.
On September 27, Tourvest Group headed to Laerskool Generaal Christian De Wet Primary where they handed out a meal to all the schoolchildren. A representative from the company, Eloise Badenhorst, said the meal consisted of freshly made hotdogs, a juice box and a cold drink for them to enjoy.
Called ‘Hotdogs for Hope’, the day served as an extension of their Mandela Day efforts, “As Tourvest Group we decided that instead of doing an initiative once a year, we do something a more often.”
With their theme this year for their charitable efforts being ‘Do what you can, where you are, with what you have’, they thought it best to go out into their own communities and have a direct impact – no matter how small it is – and change a person’s life.
The Sophiatown-based school has over 1 000 children and for some of them, there isn’t promise of a daily meal, nor is there necessarily a feeding scheme at the school. “We thought that if at least there is that one meal we could help a child with, so they could focus half- hour longer in school, it would make a change. If this be their only meal for the day, then why not assist?”
Yolandie du Plessis, a teacher at the school, said a day like this induces great big smiles on the children’s faces as she also reiterated some go without food. A teacher for 10 years at the school, through the children she has witnessed many great outcomes, but in the same breath, also witnessed a few sad situations but through it all, the children have had a big impact in her life.
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