THE National Lottery Board recently extended a helping hand to a school for intellectually challenged learners and children living with disabilities.
The board donated a school bus to Benedict and Hope Special School at Laaste Hoop in Ga-Mothapo village.
The school’s principal, Tebogo Pochana, said the 40 seater bus would help to transport learners from different villages to and from the school.
Pochana said the request for this donation was made some years ago and that the board gave them money to buy the bus of their choice.
The bus is fitted with a hydraulic lifting machine to assist wheelchair-bound learners into the bus.
“We are very grateful for the donation and we are happy that the issue of transport will no longer be a headache,” said Pochana.
The school was established in 1997 as a non-goverment organisation and is registered with the department of education.
Sophie Moropa, a member of the school governing body, urged other organisations to follow the National Lottery Board’s example and assist those in need.
“We urge parents with children who are living with disabilities to register them at the school,” she said.
During the handing over of the bus, MMP Security Company, a service provider at the school, donated food parcels, soccer balls and whistles to the learners and personnel as early Christmas gifts.
The security company also hosted a braai at the school.
MMP Security Company director, Tau Malebana, encouraged the learners to believe in themselves. “We donated sport equipment to motivate the learners to participate in sport. We are answering the minister of sports and recreation, Fikile Mbalula’s call for people to get involved in sport,” he said.
