Thriving to be the change you want to see in your community has no age limits.
18-year-old Tumelo Mphafudi (Malume Spura) from Klipspruit donated sanitary towels to 83 female matriculants of Emshukantambo Secondary School on July 20.
This is a stressful time of the year for all matriculants as they are about to sit down for their preliminary exams.
It is therefore important for Malume Spura to be part of their journey through keeping the girl child at school and make sure that they are able to write their exams.
Mphafudi said, “The main purpose of donating sanitary towels and toiletries to the matric class is that we know the pressure they receive towards their final exams.
“So, we wanted to give a motivation and let them know that someone still cares about their wellbeing.”
There are many learners who miss school because they do not afford toiletries and period poverty in South Africa is still one of the issues that prevent a girl child from attending school efficiently.
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“We are very grateful to know that there is a guy that is aware of what we are going through and has chosen to be part of our journey to passing matric.
They could have done a lot of things with their money but they had us in mind,” said one of the learners, Nonkazimulo Ndzimande.
To offer words of gratitude, Mam Noko Somo, a Grade 11 teacher explained how these initiatives remind learners of their importance as well as believing that there is a better tomorrow for them regardless of where they come from.
“Today our learners were given personal care, some might take these donations for granted but you find that it means a lot to a learner. It makes them feel confident and believe that they are loved.”
Despite the high rate of unemployment and young people resorting to substance abuse, there is still hope that young people are the future of South Africa that will bring positive change.
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“I believe in order to fight against the social ills in our community, one needs to spread love and positive energy more especially amongst young people that are consumed by substances. It is always important to look out for one another,” said Mphafudi.
