By Siphiwe Nyathi
Tzaneen – A group of school children from Morutsi Primary School in Limpopo has been recognised for playing a role in saving water in their communities.
The Grade 6 learners put their school and village on the national map when they emerged victorious at the Baswa Le Meetse (Youth in Water) competition during the annual South African Youth Water Summit held in Johannesburg last year.
The school received a R6 000 cash prize and a media classroom, sponsored by the MTN Foundation. Water and Environmental Affairs Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi recently handed over the media classroom to Morutsi Primary.
Through the project, Grade 6 pupils convey health and hygiene messages through arts media such as drama, music, poetry, praise singing and posters.
Morutsi Primary School learners did the school proud when they performed a drama highlighting the importance of water conservation and awareness.
“The contribution they made in their community towards changing the lives of our community for the better must not be forgotten," said the deputy minister at the official handover ceremony.
"Indeed, through their contribution, the people of Morutsi village must proudly say that South Africa is a better country to live in now and their school will now have computers.”
The media classroom has an interactive whiteboard, a multipurpose printer, data projector, internet service and 21 computers.
“As we are approaching the third decade of freedom in South Africa and while the majority of our people appreciate the work we have done in the past 20 years to lift them out of dehumanisation and indignity, poverty remains a bigger development challenge ahead of us,” Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi said.
She said one of the challenges facing South Africa was educating communities to protect and respect community assets such as schools and libraries.
"These are the reservoirs of wealth for the generations to come," she said.
Baswa Le Meetse is one of the projects of the 2020 Vision Programme aimed at educating pupils about water resource management and the promotion of water sector careers to address the challenge of scarce skills.
“I am very proud to be part of the team that has made the school a better learning environment. Now pupils will be able to go digital and learn more about technology,” said learner Pretty Makhela. – SAnews.gov.za
