Molepi Rising Stars treat learners to slippery Spring Day fun
The 12-year-old school continues to be a beacon of light used to guide the educational fortunes of the area's poor.
No length to secure a quality education is one taken too far.
In a joyous celebration of Spring Day, Molepi Rising Stars turned their courtyard into a water park with slides of the inflatable and slippery variety. The school has evolved from a dream imagined by owner Lydia Pitsoane to a no-fee school that provides a platform for the disadvantaged to realise a better future. Employing 15 staff, they look after 134 learners from grades 1–9 and a further 56 learners in the pre-primary phase.
Lydia is a philanthropist and businessman who has harnessed her passion for education and years in government service to build an institution of hope. Since 2020, Lydia and Molepi Rising have had to overcome several challenges. The global health panic put a severe strain on funding while personally, Lydia had to have her foot amputated after diabetes-related complications resulting from a foot injury in 2021.
The rising stars have overcome the darkness and Lydia is now inviting the downtrodden to seek educational solace at her shrine to knowledge.
“Education is a societal priority. Individuals and societies can not flourish with it,” said Lydia. “We want everyone to know that we are here to uplift our community and to be a foundation for the growth of our people,” she added.
Drawing learners from impoverished communities around the Roodepoort CBD, Lydia welcomes new applications. An NPO with the Department of Social Development’s support, Molepi Rising Stars bases their funding of learners on their parent’s income and assists with greater needs such as food and transport.
Additional sponsorship is always welcomed by Lydia but with whatever resources she has at her disposal she will strive to be a star to aim for.
