Kids’ smiles are the reward for fund-raiser DJ Dash
CLERMONT Primary School Grade 1 pupils were treated to a special meal this week, thanks to charities.
The meals were delivered to the school by Thulani Mzinyane, 32, as part of his organisation’s, “Feed a Child, Feed a Nation” monthly commitment.
Better known by his stage name, DJ Dash, Mzinyane is a Clermont old boy and has been running between cities to raise money for charity.
Last month, he ran from Johannesburg to Durban, taking pit stops along the way, to raise money for feeding schemes in Durban.
Businesses support him by sponsoring his runs, and thus his feeding schemes.
This week, Chicken Xpress and Volvo came on board to sponsor meals for the schoolchildren at Clermont Primary School.
“Feed a Child, Feed a Nation started in 2012, and this is one of four schools in Clermont that I have been donating to because of the kids who live here, and it being my hometown,” he said.
More than 50 packed into a pupils were classroom. Frayed socks peeked out of the children’s dusty school shoes, and their hands remained folded neatly on their laps, as they eagerly awaited their meals.
Their teacher, Thokozani Cele, asked a little girl to first offer a prayer of thanks.
Mzinyane and the Chicken Xpress representatives handed each pupil a burger box.
“It’s been a long time since they’ve had such a meal,” Cele said.
“They come to school on an empty stomach, most of their parents can’t afford to pay the public school fees, so you can imagine the suffering at home.” A boy with missing front teeth munched on his burger, giggling as his friend squirted tomato sauce over his chips.
Chicken Xpress marketing manager Delon Biton said: “Ultimately these children are the leaders of tomorrow and we need to support our communities. “We mostly contribute to Thulani’s organisation, but we plan to expand on this.”
This is Mzinyane’s goal. “You don’t have to be a multimillionaire to give back,” he said.
“Adopt a school and help a child. Just providing a small meal is a blessing for me, it gives me a feeling of enjoyment seeing these kids happy.”
And indeed they were, bouncing on the jungle gyms after downing their meals.
Mzinyane’s mother died when he was just two years old.
“I didn’t have the motherly figure everyone else had while growing up. There were days when I didn’t have any food at home, and that was my form of poverty.
“Some of these kids come from really bad circumstances. I see myself in them and would never want anyone to go through what I went through.”
Dodging a soccer ball being kicked around by the pupils, Mzinyane said he hoped to run from Johannesburg to Cape Town and take his runs abroad to further his campaign.
“It’s an initiative everyone can participate in,” he said, as he waved goodbye to the children.