By Yolandi Opperman

Have you ever experienced going to bed without any food? Or tried to sleep as your whole body shivers? These were the questions going through the Youth Citizen Action Program (YCAP) team’s mind as they were busy with their programme for 2018.

It all started as the YCAP team realised that some learners from their own school, De Deur Primary, would need some extra food to make it through the school holidays. Between themselves the team members were only able to collect 36 cans of food and realised that they would have to involve more people.

They managed to plant a small seed in the hearts and minds of all the learners and teachers at De Deur Primary.

As winter was approaching fast, the YCAP team realised the seriousness of having food to eat at night and sleeping in a warm bed. The learners and parents of De Deur Primary opened their hearts and hands and started to share more than was ever expected. Bags and boxes full of canned foods started coming in from all around. It did not stop there…

The children started sharing blankets and asked if they could bring clothes and shoes to help others in need. The YCAP team was overwhelmed, bearing in mind that most of the learners had very little of their own. They could not believe how generous and caring people could be. “We thank all the parents and learners from the bottom of our hearts,” says a spokesperson for the YCAP team.

They convey special thanks to Mr and Mrs Trevnand Maraj, the kindhearted parents of one of the teachers at De Deur Primary, for their gracious contribution to their project. They donated 120 cans of food, 10 boxes of mince and 40 big blankets.

On Monday, June 4 the YCAP team handed out the collected goods to orphanages in De Deur – but they won’t stop collecting.

If you would like to be a part of this amazing project and bring hope to children in need, please contact De Deur Primary on (016) 590 1045.

• Report compiled in collaboration with Anina van der Bank