Youth-led initiative donates 500 refurbished desks to schools in eMbalenhle
The initiative was inspired by the death of a Grade 12 learner at Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School, who lost his life over a school desk dispute.
A local youth-owned non-profit company, EduReclaim, which specialises in refurbishing school desks, donated 500 refurbished desks to schools across eMbalenhle on May 14 in an effort to improve learning conditions for learners.
According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Sakhile Nkosi, the initiative was inspired by the tragic death of a Grade 12 learner at Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School, who lost his life over a school desk dispute.
“He was a friend’s son and that made us want to look more into the issue of school desks,” said Nkosi.
“We discovered a huge shortage of school furniture in many schools, and the furniture currently being used is in a terrible condition.
“We then decided to collect damaged furniture from schools, refurbish and restore it by fixing the frames, welding, painting, and replacing damaged tops with new quality materials before returning it to schools.”
Nkosi explained that after realising the high costs involved in the refurbishment programme, the company approached various organisations for support in completing the first batch of 500 desks for schools in eMbalenhle.
He further appealed to both the private and public sectors, as well as individuals, to support the initiative.
“To rely only on the government to fix everything in our schools will not take us anywhere.
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“The incident at Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School became an eye-opener for communities across Govan Mbeki Local Municipality that our schools are facing serious challenges,” Nkosi said.
He added that before launching the programme, the company visited schools across eMbalenhle and identified several concerning issues related to the shortage of desks.
“In one school, we found that some learners were taking advantage of the shortage by arriving early and occupying desks, then charging other learners R5 to use them during lessons.
“In other schools, learners were sitting on the floor without desks or chairs. This is why we believe communities, businesses, government and other stakeholders need to work together to support schools,” said Nkosi.
