School uniforms, shoes sew big smiles in KZN

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Pretoria – Underprivileged learners at Thamela Primary School in Umlazi, Ward 86, could not contain their joy today when they received school uniforms and shoes from the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury Head, Simiso Magagula, who is the HoD Champion for Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) in eThekwini District, came to the school to honour the promise he made in June last year when he visited the school to give shoes and socks to 65 learners.

"When we visited the school last year, we were moved when we saw the extent of poverty in the area and how the social ills affected learners at this school.

“We promised to come back and assist more learners. Today, we have brought full school uniforms for 250 learners and the balance of uniforms for 250 more learners will follow before June this year.

"We are using the OSS programme to fight poverty and social ills. Our intention is to improve the lives of these learners so that they do not feel less important because of the economic situation at their households," Magagula said.

Magagula was optimistic that the donations will have a positive spin-off to the learners' academic programme.

"We have seen an improvement in some of the learners who benefitted from donations last year. Their confidence grew in leaps and bounds. Their academic performance improved. They were proud of themselves in their uniforms.

"This donation injects enthusiasm to learners and it also eases a heavy load from the shoulders of teachers who teach the needy learners. It is distressing yet we cannot provide for all these learners. Some teachers at this school end up adopting some of the learners because they are in dire need," said School Principal Ms Nana Masoka, pointing out that the school also needed a hall.

Department of Education's Nhlanhla Ngcobo encouraged parents and teachers to use the OSS war rooms to deal with social ills.

He said the department had assisted many learners and schools through the war room interventions. – SAnews.gov.za