Cosmo City Junior Primary School pupils get help from Sassa
COSMO CITY – Eighty-seven pupils from poverty-stricken families received a school uniform donation from government.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) together with Al-lmadaad Foundation donated school uniforms to Cosmo City Junior Primary School pupils on 29 January.
The visit by the Deputy Minister of Social Development Henrietta Bogopane-Zulu was conducted to tackle the social challenges that some of the pupils in the school are facing.
Minister Bogopane-Zulu said, “Our visit to this school and the donation have nothing to do with election or trying to get you to vote for the ANC.”
“We are here to assist and to give much-needed support to the needy pupils. It is our job to see that every child attends school,” she said.
“It is not a good thing for children not to go to school only because they do not have uniforms or are hungry.”
The Deputy Minister handed over Sassa-marked school bags with shirts, jerseys and shoes inside to 87 needy children during the donation ceremony at the school.
The donation was a joint venture between Sassa and the Al-lmdaad Foundation.
The Deputy Minister urged the community, leaders, teachers and parents to help the government to identify children who need assistance.
She added that it is the responsibility of every citizen to make sure that no child goes to school without uniform.
President of Al-Imdaad Foundation Moulana Shabier Saloojee said they assisted with sponsoring the uniforms because they care about the future of children.
The school deputy-principal Mamodisa Mofokeng said they identified 289 needy children but so far only 87 have received donations.
She said they were looking at poverty-stricken children who couldn’t afford to buy new school uniforms because parents are unemployed.
“Some come to school without lunch boxes because they have nothing at home. These were some of the things we looked at when identifying the children,” she said.
One unemployed mother of four, Meisie Masalesa said it was tough for her. She could not even raise money for the uniform because she is unemployed.
“I have children aged between three and 14. Four go to school,” she said.
Her Grade 4 son Fana Masalesa (10) was one of the beneficiaries.
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