It was the idea of Grade Three learner Lisa van Zyl (9) to introduce the bench, as she knew there were children who felt lonely at school.
“I came up with the idea because I was bullied and I know how it feels to be lonely,” said Lisa.
She presented the idea to her school principal and the head of department and they agreed that it was a good idea.
On November 3, she spoke at the assembly, explaining how it worked.
She hopes the bench will create a friendly environment at the school.
“Children will be nicer to one another and there are some children in school who do not have any friends; people will see them on the buddy bench and they will play with them,” she said.
So far Lisa has assisted two people she saw sitting on the buddy bench.
”I saw them on the bench and I then walked around within them asking people if they would like to play with them,” she said.
”And the first group of people I asked agreed to play with them.”
She now hopes the project will spread to other schools in South Africa and on the continent.
