Back-to-school initiative a success
A MAKESHIFT hair salon was set up in Lethabo Park as part of the Roodepan community’s back-toschool initiative.
The successful event, which was hosted on January 13 and 14, saw schoolchildren receive a hair wash, with boys having their hair cut or shaved and girls having their hair braided or plaited ahead of the first day of the 2024 school year.
As part of the initiative, community members also donated school shoes, uniforms and books for less fortunate learners.
A spokesperson for the community, David Kock, explained that parents came up with the idea for the event during a brainstorming session when they were thinking of ways that they could help their children ahead of their return to school.
“The initiative was for the entire community of Roodepan. Most of our children come from poor backgrounds and don’t have school uniforms and shoes. Many of them have outgrown their uniforms. So we agreed to dedicate two days to a back-to-school initiative to get our children ready for the new academic year,” said Kock
“We divided the community into two and provided the same kind of back-to-school services on the two different days - Saturday and Sunday.
“It worked out very well. We collected the donations of uniforms, shoes and school materials and distributed the items to the beneficiaries on the same premises on the day.”
Kock said that they were also able to provide the children with a meal on the day.
He added that there were also beneficiaries from Galeshewe, Greenpoint and Colville who made use of their services.
“On Saturday we had a record of 196 children from Lethabo Park and the Naborn area and on Sunday we catered for about 140 children.”
Kock urged the public to assist with more donations in order for them to host another two-day initiative.
“Depending on the donations and sponsorships received, we will be able to set up another two-day programme before the end of January and hand over donations to deserving children in the Roodepan area.”
Kock elaborated that while the school uniform donations were a “highlight, there was also a great need for school stationery.
“We don’t have enough donations … we can never have enough. If we can get more affordable stationery, that will be very appreciated because most parents can’t really afford to buy stationery.”