Learners from Bryanston High School raised over R9 000 for Gift of the Givers during a Civvies Day at the school.
On the day, all learners dressed in blue aimed to raise awareness about the water crisis in Cape Town. The money raised by the learners will be used for drought relief in Cape Town.
The initial goal was R7 000 however, the final amount far surpassed expectations.
Fatima Zahra Khan, a Grade 12 learner who drove the idea of the Civvies Day to raise money said that it had gone far better than she had expected. She originally came up with the idea for the idea when she was in Cape Town over the December holidays and realised how dire the situation is. “I’ve been part of Gift of the Givers since I was four and for me, this felt like a natural project to get involved in.”
Khan raised the idea with a few of her teachers who gave her the go-ahead and they decided on a day when to wear civvies.
“I think giving back is something that still needs to be inculcated in people and I think to see that we raised more than we expected is enough for me to say this was successful.”
She added that she hopes this initiative encourages other learners to try and make a difference.
Roslyn Toontas, the Midrand representative for Gift of the Givers, collected the money raised during an assembly at the school on 9 March.
“I think the involvement of schools and children, opening their eyes to problems that other communities face, is very important; it opens up the kids’ eyes to what they can do at home,” said Toontas.
“We try to make it very clear that we aren’t solving the water crisis but we purely want to provide humanitarian aid for the elderly, the disadvantaged and rural communities.”
Toontas added that she was overjoyed when she heard about Khan’s plans to raise money for Gift of the Givers. “The generosity and the outcome of today goes a long way; it will assist us to buy a pump to equip a borehole.”
Details:
Bryanston High School: 011 706 6010.
Gift of the Givers: 011 832 1563.
Share your thoughts on this fundraising initiative on the Sandton Chronicle Facebook page.
Also read:
Bryanston High School celebrates its 50th anniversary
Gift of the Givers gets a helping hand from St David’s Marist Inanda
