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- News24 and its partners Boxer Super Store, Bidvest Waltons, Gift of the Givers and the Naspers for Good fund handed donations to pupils at the Thandolwesizwe Secondary School in Ntuzuma on Friday.
- The move comes after the school and its pupils, who largely come from impoverished homes, were badly affected by the April 2022 flooding.
- News24 Managing Editor Mpho Raborife said she was thankful to sponsors and hopes to enrich the lives of pupils in the school.
There was much jubilation and fanfare at the Thandolwesizwe Secondary School in Ntuzuma on Friday after News24 and its sponsor partners donated a number of schooling essentials to pupils at the Durban school.
The donations, led by News24 and its partners, saw every pupil at the school receive a custom school bag, a pencil case with stationery and food sponsorships for the school's feeding scheme programme.
Speaking during an assembly to hand over the goods delivered by Gift of the Givers, News24 Managing Editor Mpho Raborife explained they chose to help the school after the devastating reports the publication had written on the flooding in April 2022.
"We discovered, through the help of Gift of the Givers, that there was a need to for pupils to have the basics. We then started to canvass and see who can help us."
News24 initially started at home, by calling on staff to donate backpacks and stationery sets that were discounted by Waltons, said Raborife.
"We ended up actually getting more than we bargained for, with added notebooks, sponsored food, monetary donations as well as solar lights from the Naspers For Good fund where they actually helped us help the kids so they can do their homework even when there is load shedding."
It was a touching moment for News24, Raborife said, adding that the company understood the importance of education and passing the academic year.
"We want to see as many of those kids make it to the end of the year as possible, no matter what their background is in the country."
School principal, the bubbly Sthe Ngema said she was happy that her pupils would not struggle with stationery.
"Our maths classes now have mathematical instruments, everyone has a pen and pencil, everyone has a solar lamp and in a time of load shedding, we now know there are no excuses for not doing homework.
She said they appreciated the gesture from all sponsors.
"Establishing these relationships helps our schools and pupils get a total learning experience."
Busile Makhanya, corporate social responsibility manager for Boxer Super Stores, said they were elated to be part of the project.
"We have donated food to assist the pupils with their studies. It really means a lot to Boxer as we pride ourselves with those communities who are supporting us, particularly in our local areas."
Accounts manager for Bidvest Waltons in KZN Bronwyn Mthembu said they decided to sponsor the school knowing most children in the school struggle financially.
"We thought it would be nice to give back to the community through stationery sponsorship. Many of these children come from disadvantaged backgrounds and we wanted to help because they do not have much to go with."
Gift of the Givers Gift head Dr Imtiaz Sooliman welcomed the ongoing partnership with News24.
"We are in service delivery to the most economically stressed communities in our country, this time bringing joy to learners who otherwise would attend school without backpacks, stationery and education related items.
"There is nothing more demoralising and heartbreaking for a child than going to school empty handed, it emotionally and psychologically breaks a child, it is embarrassing and painful as the tendency to mock those less endowed is not uncommon."
Dr Sooliman said a child loses self-esteem without the essentials for school.
"And sadly the child's intrinsic talent to excel remains inhibited. We are a caring nation, collectively we have the heart, the skill and the passion to make a difference.
"Have you noticed how a sharpener, eraser or even a mere pencil lights the eye of a child that has nothing?"
Gift of the Givers looked forward to an expanding relationship with News24 to fill the lives of people with happiness and hope.
