PUPILS at three schools, including Ntwenhle High in Folweni were recipients of school shoes and socks on Thursday, 18 June.
KZN head of treasury Smiso Magagula who is also the HOD champion of eThekwini Metro, along with eThekwini speaker, Cllr Logie Naidoo visited three schools to donate school shoes and socks as per an Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) intervention for needy children.
Needy children were identified through a profiling exercise in schools located in poor areas of eThekwini. Through OSS, more than 100 vulnerable pupils were identified at Ntwenhle High in Folweni and Gijima and Bhekaphambili Primary Schools in Lamontville.
Magagula encouraged younger boys and girls to persevere and never to give up on education, as it is the only thing that can get them out of the cycle of poverty inherited from the past generations. He spoke in detail about social ills and told them to stay away from drugs, sexual activities and to focus on their studies.
“The main aim of this programme is to assist the poorest of the poor throughout the wards. It doesn’t have to be a school uniform, it can be anything that will make a difference to the needy including assisting them with issuing of identification documentation, food parcels and anything that can alleviate poverty,” said Magagula.
Naidoo said that most children take a long walk to school.
“Because of poverty many of our children take long walks to school. Children are our future, we must ensure they are in a conducive environment to study so that they can expand their potential and become our potential future leaders.”
Most of the recipients are from child-headed households and were in high spirits to receive the gifts.
