Learners of Ekukhanyeni Primary School received donations from a local businessman and the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) on March 2 to help them to build a brighter future, and to restore their confidence in the school environment.
Given Muhlarhi, who is the director of multiple companies including engineering company Cochrane, Gant civil engineering and and Sealampes business enterprises, donated 87 pairs of school shoes. The ANCWL, with the help of local business owners, donated sanitary pads to the children.
Muhlarhi expressed a concern that there were learners who wore torn shoes, and others used tekkies and that others had no school uniform at all, and that it was important that they helped.
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“The question was that, what is it that we can do for these children, especially at the primary school level? This is why we are at this primary school looking for those needy children. I was shocked today when we saw a child who did not have uniform, and some did not have school shoes. It is painful. How can we say we are building a better South Africa, but we still have children who go to school like that? So that is what inspires our donations,” said Muhlarhi.
He said a group of business women, Women of Valour, helped him to collect the shoes to donate to the learners. Additionally, he said, Suresh Jivan, a businessman from Brakpan, donated 30 pairs of shoes. He encouraged other local business owners to offer their help to needy communities.
Speaking on behalf of the ANCWL, Rose Khumalo said the league understood the deep poverty faced by communities, especially the child-headed families and destitute families.
“As mothers of the nation, we had a discussion among ourselves, and so decided to donate sanitary pads,” Khumalo said.
She said Muhlarhi helped with the donations, and that this was beneficial to two primary schools in Ward 31 as they were children “mostly affected by poverty”.
The winter season is approaching, so we made it a point to come here to extend a helping hand to the children in need; today we came here and tomorrow we are headed to Lesabe primary to donate shoes and sanitary pads.
“Parents should adopt the culture of donating to poorer community members. We need to work together, going back to our roots to work as one community in order to create a better tomorrow for our children,” she added.
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Headmaster of the school Madoda Hadebe said that they were thrilled with the gesture, and thanked the donors on behalf of the school governing body, parents and school teachers, for all the donations.
“As a nation we are struggling, the gesture by the donors will give the children an edge in terms of their education, confidence, and will help to to restore their values. School uniform helps to restore fractured dignity, so this will impact positively in learners’ lives,” said Hadebe.
On behalf of the school, we want to express our thankfulness.
“We need parents to come and thank the donors so that they can be motivated to offer more help when there is a need to help,” he added.
Muhlarhi, the ANCWL and businesses, plan to visit other schools in Ekurhuleni to donate more pairs of shoes, uniforms and sanitary pads. The team welcomes any donations including shoes, school jerseys or anything that will add value to the children’s education.
For more information on how to help, contact Given Muhlarhi on 083 747 3388
