Join BIC®’s Buy a Pen, Donate a Pen programme
The write stuff guarantees a bright future.
BIC®’s ‘Buy a Pen, Donate a Pen’ programme is back this year for millions of schoolgoers. The programme adequately equips millions of young children with the relevant stationery tools to fulfil their basic educational needs. It is a reality for many parents that ‘Back to School’ is a difficult time as they struggle to afford stationery.
BIC® has heeded the call and, since 2011, has supplied 7.3 million South African underprivileged children with the relevant stationery thereby powering their potential and taking the anxiety away from parents and allowing kids to focus on their education and the year ahead.
BIC® has announced that the campaign would be back this year during the back to school period. BIC® marketing manager (Stationery) – South East and Central Africa (SECA), Ronette Kishun said the campaign would be a primary focus in 2018, in line with their commitment to advocate for educational opportunities and allowing children to apply their energy to their dreams for the future.
“Education should be the number one priority for those who want to help build a better South Africa, and our Buy a Pen, Donate a Pen programme will inspire kids who would otherwise have started their 2018 school year without stationery.
“BIC® will allow them to power their potential by giving them the right tools to be able to achieve their dreams,” she said.
Kishun explained that by buying any one of the twenty specially marked BIC® packs carrying the Buy a Pen, Donate a Pen sticker, South Africans will be giving underprivileged children the tools needed for learning.
The pens are distributed to disadvantaged schools across the country through the READ Foundation every year, and Lizelle Langford, public relations and fundraising manager at the READ Foundation, said that the project has made a difference in the lives of many primary and high school learners.
Langford said, “A pen or pencil is something a lot of people don’t even have to think about. But for some youngsters, stationery is an obstacle to their education because they simply can’t afford it. Putting the right instruments in a child’s hands can make a significant difference to their future.”
Langford added that through this initiative children no longer have to share a pencil stub or pens, which in turn is time-consuming for teachers who have to wait for each child to get a turn with the pen or pencil. “We are extremely grateful to BIC® for this opportunity,” said Langford.
Each year over 500 schools in the townships and rural areas are provided with BIC® pens with the majority going to primary schools with Newclare Primary School one of them.
Kishun urged South Africans to join BIC®’s Buy a Pen, Donate a Pen programme and create magic for children by choosing to change a child’s future this year.
