School will never be the same again for these pupils!

By KOPANO MONAHENG

REDUCING unemployment in Mzansi, particularly when it comes to the youth, is critical but also one of the biggest challenges faced by the government.

Unemployment is a big problem in South Africa right now. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey from Q4 2023 shows that 59.4 % of Mzansi’s youth are unemployed.

Parents whose children are in school today, dream of a better future for them.

But a lot needs to be done to ensure this dream is a success.

Africanbank is going around Soweto primary schools, motivating pupils and encouraging them to go to school and become educated.

Through one of their CSI projects, which is called the Winter School Uniform Drive, they have managed to buy hundreds of Soweto pupils stationery and uniforms so that these pupils can look presentable.

The uniform not only makes the pupils look presentable, but it also motivates them to want to achieve more in terms of their academic merits.

During a handover at Batsogile Primary School in Klipspruit, one parent said she has three children in the same school, and all of them are going to receive school uniforms and stationery from the bank. “I’m so excited,” said the mum. “I’ve been unemployed for over a year now, and my children have been looked after by their paternal grandmother.”

She couldn’t afford to buy her children school uniforms and stationery. However, she thanked the bank for putting big smiles on her children’s faces.

The vice principal at Batsogile Primary School, Kesentseng Tshukudu really appreciated the support they got from the bank and hopes this initiative can go a long way towards bettering the lives of African children. She said there’s more that they need to improve at the school, but there’s now light at the end of the tunnel.

There are three languages taught at the school, which are SeTswana, IsiZulu, and SePedi, with over 400 pupils.

Percy Maphumulo, head of sustainability at Africanbank, said the aim of this project this youth month was to provide assistance to parents whose children go to school daily wearing torn or incomplete school uniform. He said a majority of the parents there are unemployed which makes life difficult for them to buy these children some necessities.