Left to right. Que Duma, Sumaiya Peer, Shanita Ranchor, Mohammed Peer, Nokuphila Mbatha, Sbusiso Zikalala and Mzee Duma, Donating sanitary Pads last year. Picture: Supplied
Durban — A back-to-school campaign has called for donations. The campaign is an initiative of the Mthombeni Foundation based in Ladysmith.
Mzee Duma, the founder of the organisation, said that this was their first back-to-school campaign; previously they had donated sanitary pads to schools around the area.
Duma said the organisation launched the campaign last week to provide support for pupils from disadvantaged homes. They wanted to make those pupils feel and look the same as others, he said.
“We are calling on the public and other business owners to help donate uniforms to these pupils, from school shoes to shirts.
“Our campaign needs all the publicity and helping hands it can receive because we are not funded and the money comes straight from our pockets,” said Duma.
The foundation has support from local business owners, including Sumaiya Peer, the founder of SP Creations, he said.
“Peer sponsored our campaign with food take always for 200 pupils, the reason why she did that its because she's passionate about giving back to the community, especially to under-privileged families.
“We also have a partnership with her company. She loves what we’re doing for the community.
“We also have a partnership with Sasko, and Shanita Ranchor works for Sasko. She was doing anti-bullying awareness in our programme because pupils should not ill-treat each other. She also encouraged unity and care in pupils,” he said.
Other supporters backing initiatives are members of the SAPS, Life Line, and Correctional Service in their crime awareness campaign.
“Our goal is to bring back the dignity of a girl child and also to encourage unity at school to combat body-shaming and teenage pregnancy, and encourage them to focus on their studies.
“Without education in this world you’ll suffer forever and we wanted to caution pupils about committing crime because it can destroy their future, because being part of gangsterism won’t take them anywhere,” he said.
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