Stepping in with stationery

ZULULAND’S disadvantaged youth can enjoy a more colourful education with the help of generous community members and businessmen, partnering up with a local stationery company.

The Step-Up Stationery Box project is a newly established initiative spearheaded by the The Bay Stationers owner Nicola Wicks to ‘equip our community’s rural students with quality stationary’.

For every R80 donation, a Tupperware box is filled by Nicola and volunteers with all the necessary items appropriate to the student’s age and grade.

‘It was through ‘The Santa Shoebox Project’ that we identified a potential method of getting support to a vast number of vulnerable and disadvantaged students,’ said Nicola.

‘Our project will supply pre-packed stationery in durable lidded containers for proper storage in a ‘rural classroom’.

With the assistance of non-profit organisation Amangwe Village, the Step-Up team reached numerous destitute schools in the region.

‘After months of hard work and many miles of searching through the rural areas, we have identified the most vulnerable and impoverished crèches, care centres and schools that receive no form of support whatsoever,’ Nicola said.

She aims to distribute 10 000 stationery packs to these institutions this year.

‘The project’s wheels are in motion and sponsorship is already being received by companies and individuals and we have a dedicated team delivering stationery on a weekly basis.’

For more information, contact Nicola Wicks on 035 7880108.