School says sad goodbye after suicide
Eersterust mourns the loss of its fifth suicide victim after a 17-year-old girl died on Tuesday morning.
An Eersterust school said a sad goodbye on Thursday to a pupil who committed suicide earlier in the week.
Virginia Bere (17) died in the early hours of Tuesday morning after she apparently poisoned herself.
This was the fifth pupil suicide within a year at Eersterust Secondary School.
Principal William Louw said at a memorial service Bere was a kind, loving and beautiful teenager with a lot of potential.
He sought to comfort the family who attended the service and said the school’s thoughts and prayers were with them during this time.
Bere’s elder sister, Sylvia Masimula said she was a private teenager, but friendly and outgoing. She said family discovered her body at 03:00 in the morning at her parent’s house in Mamelodi Vista View.
“She was a very humble, understanding and helpful person. It is still unclear what had caused her to take her own life. At 23:00 on Monday she still spoke to some of her friends. She did not let on that anything was wrong. She looked happy,” a sad Masimula said.
She said the family is going through a difficult time and thanked the school, teachers and pupils for their support.
She pleaded with the pupils present not to go it alone when they encountered problems.
“I ask that you learn to be more open with your parents. They love you and want to nurture you. If you cannot speak to a parent about your problems. then seek out a teacher or councillor that could walk with you and assist you during your tough time.”
Children contemplating suicide should never think this was the way out. Children were the future.
“They are the next generation of nurses, leaders, presidents, doctors and so much more. They have a future to live for. They should not for one moment think that they cannot speak to someone if they are going through difficulty. Reach out and get help,” she said.
She said Bere would be buried on 17 May at 09:00 in the Mamelodi graveyard.
Video:
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