Student helps village children face world with more confidence
Toiletry donations make difference at rural school
Having proper sanitary towels and toiletries remains a challenge for many pupils, especially those from struggling families in the remote areas of the Eastern Cape.
But a Xhora-born, Cape Town-based drama student has come to the aid of 119 pupils from Tongani Junior Secondary School in Xhora s Nkanya village.
The 26-year-old Nozalisa Wuza, founder of the Leesah Care Foundation, said that she had also lacked the essentials growing up, and wanted to lessen the burden faced by pupils.
Since January, Wuza, who is from the same village and was raised by a single mother, has delivered roll-on deodorants, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and bath towels for each pupil.
She has so far spent more than R4,000 assisting those in need in her village community.
Wuza said the research she conducted before registering the foundation in 2021 revealed that many more children were in dire need of these essentials.
“I was in the situation these children are in many years ago, where sometimes we would use a bar of soap as toothpaste and roll-on, until I was humiliated by my teacher, and I went through bullying for years because there would be no toothpaste or roll-on as my parents could not afford to buy such things,” Wuza said.
“I wanted to make a difference and I used money from my own pocket to buy toiletries. For now I am dealing with one school, but I want to spread this initiative.
“I did my research thoroughly on students in rural areas, asking if these things were still happening and it broke my heart to find out that they were.
“When I started, some of the children did not know which products to use.
“The situation is even worse
now and some children end up killing or harming themselves or others. Both girls and boys are benefiting. There is a lot these children need, and some do not go to school as a result.
“This is something I would love to do for almost all the schools in rural areas. I need any kind of support that I can get to help underprivileged children.”
Some of the beneficiaries are orphans and some have parents who are not working.
The Byron Bure Theatre and Arts Academy student said football sensation Junior Khanye had donated R1,000 when she started the initiative in January, and she had topped this up from her allowance.
“I’m still a student, but I want to make a change,” she said.
“I have given them two batches so far. For me this uplifts these children. I do not want a
repeat of my own story.”
The school has provided those in need with sanitary towels from its budget since 2015.
Principal Sibongile Siyo, also from Xhora, said the initiative was life-changing and lauded Wuza for her efforts.
“When she came to the school last year, I was happy with the idea because she is a product of the area. Children were really struggling, and one could see it was affecting their dignity; we as teachers did our best to help.
“There is change now in their morale. They are motivated. The area has a high unemployment rate and some children are raised by their grandmothers, who grew up not using these things.
“The provisions also help to boost the children’s attendance.”