A charity has collected more school uniforms for underprivileged children than it had hoped to during the Covid-19 crisis.
Pupils in Bonteheuwel, Vrygrond and Lavender Hill are beneficiaries this year of the Kit a Kid 4 School campaign run annually by Party with a Purpose Productions (PPP).
This year, the organisation aimed to give 150 children R300 school-uniform vouchers. Instead they raised enough money to give the vouchers to 200 children.
The annual handover usually involves all the beneficiaries spending a day of fun together, but this year things had to be done differently.
On Saturday December 12, three organisations – the Butterfly Art Project, New World Foundation and Philisa Abafazi Bethu – as well as EA Janari Primary School in Bonteheuwel each received R 15 000 in vouchers for them to distribute to children in need.
This year’s handover was held in memory of John Goss, a former board member and project manager of the organisation. His widow, Ursula Goss, handed over the vouchers during the event at Casa Labia Garden Courtyard in Muizenberg.
Anthony Cloete, from EA Janari Primary School, said they were grateful to be included.
“This just cements my belief that there are still good Samaritans who care about our children. Their very kind and generous gesture creates hope for a better future,” Mr Cloete said.
Lester Mulligan, a volunteer at PPP, said the initiative was more than just contributing towards a uniform.
“When we give, we are giving with that love inside of us. We are here to give hope through our gift of love,” he said.
Malany Meyer, from New World Foundation, said the donation had come at a good time.
“With Covid-19, everybody is in financial difficulty. A lot of the parents of the children in our programme lost their jobs, and many are ‘skarreling’. We are very grateful to them (PPP).”
PPP’s founder Chad Abrahams said it had started in 2003 when a group of friends who liked to party got together to host a party with a difference.
They asked their friends to donate toys as an entry fee to a party. They donated hundreds of toys from this initiative. Later, as the organisation got more involved with schools, they realised there was a greater need for school uniforms and stationary.
Mr Abrahams said he saw the need when he met children with torn school uniforms and broken shoes.
“It took me back to my childhood, being one of 14 children, I had to wear hand-me-downs. I was ostracised and bullied at school because of it. I used to use a bright plastic grocery bag from one of the local supermarkets for my school books. That is when I realised the need is greater there, than to donate toys. Our organisation is very passionate about education,”
Mr Abrahams said.Since starting the Kit a Kid 4 School campaign in 2006, the organisation has assisted more than 9 000 children and helped two schools with their libraries.