POLOKWANE – Mokgaetji Hlaka and Thapelo Maruma, both from Seshego Zone 3, has embarked on a Backpack Drive to help the disadvantaged learners from Boiketlo Primary School and schools from surrounding areas with basic necessities to meet their educational needs in the form of backpacks.
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Thapelo said the idea came about when he saw two young children carrying their school books in a plastic bag on his way to work. “At first I thought this might just be an isolated incident but I soon realised this wasn’t the case. I saw a post on social media about the plight faced by children in rural areas and decided to use Facebook as a platform to get people to help me make a difference in their lives. I asked people to donate backpacks which we will then give to needy learners and soon the request was all over Facebook as people shared my post. Mokgaetji contacted me about my post and suggested we do this initiative together as she was already doing a similar initiative. Through this initiative we want impoverished children to be encouraged to focus on their education. We aim to donate 100 backpacks, not only at Boiketlo Primary School but to other schools where there is a need as well,” Thapelo added.
Mokgaetji’s initiative, Go Givers, allows everyone to connect with their community and make it a better place.
“Even helping with the smallest tasks can make a real difference in people’s lives. We will ask schools to help us identify needy learners who will then receive new backpacks. Whether you can afford to donate one bag or 100 bags, we’ll appreciate the assistance and together we can help a child go to school with a proper school bag instead of using plastic bags to carry their school books. We want to improve the education system by ensuring learners are supported in their education, particularly during the foundation phase,” Mokgaetji said.
They aim to hand over the backpacks on 9 October and anyone who wants to help them, or if you need more information, can contact Thapelo at 076 412 6556 or Mokgaetji at 060 893 2106.
