THE Vodacom Foundation together with the Department of Basic Education launched a stationery drive worth over R6 million, where Vodacom provides stationery to 180 000 pupils from primary and high schools. A total of 60 000 primary school pupils and 120 000 high school pupils across the country including pupils from KwaZulu-Natal will each receive a stationery pack. Each pack includes a pencil case, pencils, a sharpener, an eraser, ball point pens and a ruler. A scientific calculator will also be included in the pack for high school pupils.
Vodacom’s Chief Officer: Corporate Affairs, and chairman of the Vodacom Foundation, Maya Makanjee said, “The key objective of the stationery drive is to support the Department of Basic Education by providing stationery for disadvantaged schools in South Africa. Our goal is to ensure that pupils throughout the country have access to some basic tools to start off the year.” Vodacom employees have volunteered their time to distribute the stationery packs to the 210 schools nationwide.
The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Enver Surty added, “Thank you so much Vodacom for showing you care for our pupils. Thank you for connecting children to the world through a lifeline of education. The private sector plays a critical role in the provision of much-needed resources. The stationery packs that you have so generously given to our pupils will certainly help them. With limited resources, government cannot do it alone. Education is a societal issue and we thank Vodacom for the contribution.”
Other Vodacom Foundation social investment programmes in the area of education include the information and communication technology schools connectivity project that is aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools across the country, the Vodacom Bursary Scheme which supports pupils by providing bursaries in the science and technology fields, the Vodacom Millionaires programme which donates four computer centres to public schools in South Africa every month and offering support to the Department of Basic Education in its food security programme.
