Changing lives with towels and trophies

ALMOST 400 Sinomonde Primary School girls from grades 4 to 7 were all smiles when they received muchneeded sanitary towels last week.

The girls at the Orange Grove school also received sporting kits and blankets while the school received trophies to reward pupils who excel in the sports.

The donations were made by good samaritan Babalwa Mbuku with help from the South African Local Government Association (Salga) in the Eastern Cape.

The donations are a welcome development for the pupils as Orange Grove is an area with a high unemployment rate.

This means, whenever the girls menstruate, they miss school because their families cannot afford sanitary towels for them.

Salga community development programme manager Khosi Msinka said most of the pupils at the school were from low income families.

Msinka said it was important for them to donate goods that would make a difference to the pupils and improve their lives on a daily basis as opposed to just handing out meals, which would be finished by the end of the day.

The group donated netball kits for girls and soccer kits for boys, as well as trophies for pupils who excel in the sports.

Msinka said the trophies would encourage pupils to keep active and take part in extramural activities at school.

“We wanted to make sure that we donate items that will be used for years, not just food that pupils will eat and finish, and tomorrow they are hungry again.

“The pupils will be able to compete in sports with other schools in sporting gear. We hope the trophies will also motivate pupils to play sports at school,” she said.

School principal Vuyisile Nkohla was delighted with the donations, saying they would make a huge difference at the school.

“We are so grateful for this donation, as you can see our school is surrounded by disadvantaged communities and the kids from the school struggle to afford even the basics.

“Some girls don't come to school when they are having their period, but now they have received sanitary towels they will be able to come to school,” he said. — DDC