New wheelchairs for two pupils at Mtfophi Primary School

During their recent trip to the Lowveld to celebrate locals’ four years of participating in the project, the team from Johannesburg also attended an event at Mtfophi Primary School in Daantjie-Pienaar.

Ambassador Christine Simelane is a teacher at the school. At the school function, brand manager Lynton Lefevre met two pupils, Qiniso Makamo and Courage Mdluli, who are physically challenged and in wheelchairs.

He realised that their wheelchairs at that time were completely inadequate and actually posed safety hazards for them.He was inspired by Qiniso’s tenacity, determination and strong-willed desire to succeed in life despite his disabilities.

Once they left the school he realised that after the entertainment of the day life would return to normal for the children, and their daily challenges would continue, as would the inadequacy of their chairs.

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Back home he reached out via his personal Facebook page and appealed for tags for the “Breadtags for Wheelchairs” cause.

Within a day from his original appeal two sponsors; Megan Earnshaw, a well-known resident of the Lowveld, as well as Firdoze Bulbulia; came on board as full sponsors for new wheelchairs.

Earnshaw said she realised how long it would take to collect all those bread tags and decided to step in with a donation of one chair.

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Tract Angus-Hammond, who has vast experience working with disabled children at Nkanyezi Stimulation Centre in Soweto, also immediately stepped in and facilitated the purchase and delivery of the wheelchairs to the children.

A special handover ceremony was arranged at the school, with Qiniso and Courage’s parents also present.