McBain Charles Primary School showed their support in uniting the community and fighting against drug, alcohol, women and child abuse.
Pupils and teachers on Friday dressed in pink after an appeal was made to residents to wear pink showing unity.
“This is our small contribution but we want to put our message out there,” said Graham Mansingh, principal of the school.
He said that pupils of the school are affected by substance abuse.
“We have pupils who have older siblings or parents who are on drugs.
“Some of their relatives steal from home and we can see how it affects the pupils’ academic performance even if it isn’t the pupils that are hooked,” Mansingh said.
Pupils use their older siblings who use drugs as negative role models which results in them stealing from school.
This is a cry for help Mansingh said.
“Pupils act out in ways that we don’t understand but we want to send out a message that our school is here to help them,” Mansingh said.
McBain Charles Primary School has teachers who are trained as counsellors and have, according to Mansingh, helped several pupils previously.
“Some of our pupils have experimented with dagga or alcohol, they bunked school and sat in parks with high school pupils or the unemployed.
“The school has a team, occupational therapist and works with social workers from the police station who help the pupils,” Mansingh said.
Mansingh encourages pupils to access help provided by the school.
“For us to reach to our pupils, they have to talk to us,” he said.
Guest speaker at the event, Charis Pretorius, said targeting younger people is better for prevention.
“We want to influence the mindset from an early age and make sure that they are well informed so that by the time they deal with pressure of using drugs, they will be well informed,” Pretorius said.
Pretorius was shocked that pupils from foundation phase are well informed on drugs and the different types of it.
“They got the message that they must say no to drugs,” Pretorius said.
Pink balloons were released by pupils.
Mansingh: “We hope that wherever the balloons touch ground that it will change lives.”
