Stationery drive to help needy pupils

Charl van der Merwe, a grade 12 pupil from Cornwall Hill College, has established an initiative called Writestart to collect new and used stationery and items that can be used in a classroom to donate to the needy.

“My aim is to create awareness among the residents and businesses in Pretoria and to urge them to make donations at Incredible Connection Stores. Items that can be donated include general stationery (there is a big need for pencil cases), art materials, storybooks, educational toys, school bags, exercise books and any other items that can be used in a classroom,” said Van der Merwe.

He explained what led to him starting the charity drive.

“At the end of 2012 my sister and I realised we had plenty of stationery in our home that we no longer used, especially items such as colouring pencils, paints and clay. My sister is now a first-year student at the University of Stellenbosch and I have decided to continue with our project. We have also realised that in many schools, pupils are sharing stationery among themselves and we thought this would be a way that we could help improve their situation and their education. The project has been running for two years and I determine a cut-off date for donations to be received (which is the end of April for this year). Once I have cleaned and sorted all the items, I then start contacting schools and organisations to determine their needs. I believe they should receive what they need, all in a decent condition. I also keep newspaper articles relating to charities requiring stationery throughout the year for reference purposes.”

One of the highlights for Van der Merwe was when he was invited to present the Writestart Stationery Drive at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls during the President’s Awards Youth Dialogue and Action Workshop held in September 2013.

He said people who were interested in contributing to this initiative should send an email to cdtvdm7@gmail.com.