SOME underprivileged children from Mahube Valley Primary School were treated to a special surprise when they received new goodies to assist with their academic journey.
Smiles were flashing as the 500 children received waterproof school bags, book covers and T-shirts donated by Mams Mall. And to put the cherry on top, Cashbuild donated R15000 worth of building materials to the needy school.
One by one the children tried on the new schools bags, while some excitedly threw them over their shoulders. A sense of joy could be seen as they carefully examined their bags, checking for compartments inside.
The primary school, with informal settlements huddled around it, is classified under the quintile 1 section as a no fee institution. And that is not at all surprising considering the impoverished state of the school and the surrounding community.
Deputy principal Raesibe Morena was over the moon when she explained how much the bags meant for the school which was established in 2012. She said the school taught 1333 children, the majority from poverty-stricken homes.
“This is a good sign of love from Mams Mall. It will in turn teach the children to also give back to their community once they are done with school,” she said.
The marketing manager at Mams Mall, Nthabiseng Moremela, said the donation was part of the corporate social investment (CSI) they had been involved in around the community.
She said they sourced and investigated the school and through their tenants at the mall managed to sponsor the school. “Our aim was to bridge the gap, and make learning a bit easier for the children,” said Moremela.
The recipients of the goodies were identified by the teachers as the most needy, taking into consideration family and financial backgrounds. Some children only lived with their grandparents in a crowded set-up and solely depended on their pension money.
But the school was faced with more than just uniform and stationery woes. According to Morena, sports facilities left much to be desired. The mobile classes were also a huge problem in terms of overcrowding and adverse temperatures.
“In summer they are so hot while in winter they are freezing,” said Morena. She applied to local businessmen and companies to assist where they could.