LIMPOPO – FIFTEEN primary and eight secondary school learners’ faces lit up with joy when they received new school uniforms during a hand over ceremony at Mushaathoni High School in Nzhelele in the Vhembe district last Wednesday.
The initiative was a joint effort between the Mushaathoni Secondary Peace Club, Vhembe Water Drilling, Hyundai Louis Trichardt, Dr Mphatheleni Madula, BB Mount Fuji, HET Construction, Wyliespoort Trading Store, SI Hardware and Thembaluvhilo Butchery.
Each learner received full school uniform including a pair of shoes and socks.
Prince Manenzhe of Mushaathoni Secondary Peace Club said they decided to approach sponsors after they observed that some learners’ were in financial straits. “We then asked the educators to provide us with lists of those who urgently needed school uniforms. We immediately approached donors and the rest is history,” Manenzhe said.
He said the club was started this year with the sole aim of helping disadvantaged learners whose parents could not provide school uniforms or pay school fees. “We know the hardships faced by many parents in the area. Our area is one of the poorest areas in the province, and if we do not do something for our learners, some could end up dropping out of school,” he said. He added that the club was living up to its objectives.
Vhembe Water drilling director, Velaphi Nemafhohoni, said children needed to be nurtured to become future responsible leaders. “The uniform presentation marked the long journey of community development through fruitful partnerships. The importance of education does not need a guest speaker to emphasise it. Education brings light, joy and wealth. The future is there, yours is to make the right choices,” Nemafhohoni said to the learners.
He said it was part of their company’s corporate social investment policy. “We give back to the communities from which we get our labour force. Although we cannot provide people with every need, we are very sure that the little that we give back will make a difference in our communities. We understand the challenges that our education system is facing and we cannot just sit down and watch. We spend more on the education of our kids because we know that they are the future of our country,” he said.
Matodzi Nevhutalu of Tshipange Primary School was one of the beneficiaries. He said it would help to motivate them in their studies.
“What the donors did for us has helped restore our dignity and we will not disappoint them, our parents or our educators,” he said.
