Last month, when Thusong Youth Centre (TYC) took their school uniform donation drive to Minerva Secondary School, their intention was not only to clothe learners from underprivileged households but to confront the deeper social challenges that poverty imposes on young people.

At its surface, the drive ensured that learners had dignified attire for school. Yet its impact reached further, safeguarding learners’ right to dignity and addressing the psychosocial burdens that poverty often magnifies. Educators and TYC leaders alike stressed that poverty, visible in torn trousers and worn-out shoes, frequently exposed children to bullying, which undermined their right to dignity.

Read more: Thusong Youth Centre’s donation drive spreads love at East Bank High

Chris Ndlovu, TYC programmes manager, explained that bullies sometimes looked at how a learner was dressed and created stories to humiliate them. “By giving learners uniforms, we are protecting them in some ways from bullying. We are restoring their dignity.”

TYC coordinator Thumeka Joos noted that some uniform recipients come from households where even parents survive only on social grants, and would understandably prioritise groceries over uniforms, leaving children vulnerable to ridicule and exclusion. She said that inadequate clothing chipped away at learners’ self-esteem, and as a consequence, some learners could not even learn properly because other learners were mocking them.

Also read: Thusong Youth Centre donation drive restores learners’ right to education and dignity

Life orientation teacher Mamangwalo Mtshweni shared the same views, highlighting the broader psychosocial struggles learners faced. She said that some come from child-headed households, unemployed parents, and extreme poverty, and these, she noted, were the learners who were sometimes targeted by bullies.

Minerva has, in the past, recorded multiple incidents of bullying, which Mtshweni said could partly be attributed to poverty. She emphasised that donated uniforms not only reduce bullying but also improve attendance. “Some learners miss school because they own only one pair of trousers. When it’s dirty, they stay home. These donations will ensure they come to school every day.”

Although schooling facilities remain largely accessible, poverty, Mamangwalo emphasised, could affect learners’ learning outcomes, especially when they lack the most basic necessities such as a proper uniform. She added that such donations improve their learners’ learning outcomes in class. “They can engage and do not think too much about their problems at home. They can focus on schoolwork.”

TYC reaffirmed that education was not just about access to classrooms; it was about ensuring learners felt whole, confident, and protected in their right to dignity.

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