Eastern Cape ex-pupils band together to help clothe the needy at former school

More than 70 needy children at three Ngqamakhwe schools now have warm tracksuits to wear on cold days, thanks to a group of former pupils.

The former pupils from Mgadi, Tyindi and Mpatha villages, whose parents were also not able to buy them proper winter uniforms, joined hands to raise funds to buy the tracksuits.

The group of young people, some of whom are unemployed, raised R16,000 through the Nofotyo Development Forum to buy tracksuits for pupils from Mweli, Upper Nofoko and Lowe Nofotyo junior secondary schools.

One of the brains behind the initiative is Anelisa Mayeye from Mgadi village, who is an electrical engineering graduate and Transnet employee. He told the Dispatch on Monday that they wanted to see the lives of young people from the area uplifted.

We started this forum last year to help out in our community. Young people forked out money from June last year, whatever amount they could until we reached R16,000 and bought the tracksuits

Finally, after a year of raising funds, the handover was done on Wednesday to 79 pupils.

“We started this forum last year to help out in our community.

“Young people forked out money from June last year, whatever amount they could until we reached R16,000 and bought the tracksuits,” Mayeye said.

All Grade R and 3 pupils from the schools received a tracksuit, much to their delight. 

“Winter is cold. We decided to do this because we want to keep the pupils at school.

“In my time in 2003 to 2008 at Upper Nofotyo, pupils wore their jackets from home when it was cold. We wanted to end that.

“We wanted to do more but we also had to assess the challenges.

“We will go back to the drawing board now and see in what other ways we can help.

“Soccer teams in our villages have no soccer kits and balls and those are some of the things we are looking at addressing,” he said.

Upper Nofotyo’s school principal Sizwe Ndzamela said 30 pupils out of an enrolment of 105 had benefited from the donation.

He said the pupils had “jumped for joy” when they received their tracksuits.

“We allow them to wear their jackets [from home] when it's cold because we know their home conditions.

“Most are from families that struggle, while some live with their grandmothers and depend on social grants.

“We did not expect this. It was an overwhelming and welcome surprise.

“Our wish is that all the children can get the black and white tracksuits, even if it is not from the forum,” he said.

Sivuyise Gontswayo, a mother of two girls in Grade R and 1 who each received a tracksuit, said a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Her family depends on the social grants for the pupils — aged three and six.

We are all happy. I do not know how to thank them enough. What they [the forum] did is a big thing and a well-thought out plan, especially during this time of Covid-19 where people are losing their jobs

“We are all happy. I do not know how to thank them enough.

“What they [the forum] did is a big thing and a well-thought out plan, especially during this time of Covid-19 where people are losing their jobs.

“It was embarrassing to send them to school wearing bright clothes because it is not part of their uniform but I did not have the means to buy uniforms. A tracksuit costs about R500.

“I will be part of the next initiative they do to ensure that our community is changed for the better,” she said.

DispatchLIVE