Cape Town - Several Grade R learners from three schools in vulnerable Cape communities were gifted with cheer, dance and much-needed essential food items for their families.
Learners from St Augustine’s RC Primary School in Parow Valley, Vergenoegd Primary School in Voorbrug and Sonwabo Primary School in Gugulethu were the recipients of food relief boxes as well as educational resources.
Education non-profit organisation Living Through Learning (LTL) facilitated the handover after receiving 500 food relief boxes donated by the Lunchbox Fund. LTL has played a supportive role to 26 schools in the province by providing the tools for literacy and skills development.
In total, five schools in struggling communities will benefit from the donation.
The food boxes were delivered by the Lunchbox Fund and Rise Against Hunger and 500 sensory books by Georgie Porgie Busy were donated by the Rolf Stephan Nussbaum Foundation.
Learners also got a chance to learn and take part in the global hit dance challenge, the Jerusalema.
An educator at Vergenoegd Primary School, Leander Heyns, said the added resources helped a great deal.
“A lot of these children come to school each day not having food to eat, so the only time for some of them is the meal that they eat at school. This will help a lot, especially during this time. Many parents lost their jobs.”
Principal Jonathan Goodall said the school receives food for around 400 learners, however it has to supply more than 700 learners with food a day.
About 90 Grade R learners received food relief boxes at Vergenoegd Primary School.
A spokesperson for Sonwabo Primary School said the donation had come at a time when many parents and guardians found themselves overwhelmed by the pandemic.
“Most of them have lost their jobs, so to put food on the table at this time during the pandemic is a difficult thing,” he said. More than 70 boxes were donated to pupils.
Cape Argus