Fund-raiser to help matric girls
A PHOENIX high school has opened its doors to its matric pupils, who will spend the weeks building up to and during their exams, living on the premises to make it easier for them to focus on their studies.
Sagie Moodley, the principal of Crystal Point Secondary School, which is one of the organisations set to benefit from hosting a marquee at the eLan Gold Cup, said the school had launched the initiative as a pilot project earlier this year to help girls achieve their optimal results. He said the school’s fees were R1 200 a year and 40% to 50% of parents did not pay fees, but despite this and the pupils’ difficult life circumstances, the school still managed to attain a 98.27% pass rate.
“We started the pilot project because many of our matrics have a problem when they can’t stay late at school and walk to and from school. Their conditions for learning at home are difficult because there are taverns around some of their homes,” Moodley said.
“We put up showers at the school and have converted some of the classrooms into sleeping areas so that we can host 40 pupils two weeks before the exams and during the exams,” Moodley said.
He said the pilot project had featured on East Coast Radio’s Big Favour Show earlier this year and anonymous donors had stepped forward to provide 40 mattresses while other companies had donated tea, coffee, blankets, pillows, sugar and other items. He said parents had agreed to volunteer to keep an eye on the girls and he would also regularly visit the school to ensure everything was in order.
Moodley said the school had successfully hosted a charity marquee at the Gold Cup for the last four years, which had been a big help in terms of meeting the school’s fund-raising requirements.
“We have a marquee of 20 tables that seat 10 people and we have full table settings. We provide snacks and complimentary drinks on arrival as well as a full supper and live entertainment by Eddie Naidoo,” he said. Tickets cost R3 500 for a table or R350 per person.
For more information or to book tickets, contact Moodley on 079 551 0470 or email sagie.moodley29@gmail.com