More than 200 disabled learners at Temogo Let The Light Shine Special School in Mogwase, near Rustenburg, in North West, still face neglect, marginalisation, not being accepted at mainstream educational institutions, as well as being judged by society.
Others are locked away in their homes so that they should not be seen by the public. This emerged during the donation of amongst other food parcels, toiletries, as well as sanitary towels to the learners at the school.
The donations were mobilised from the community and NGOs aimed at restoring the dignity of the disabled learners who continue to face a variety of challenges from society.
For the school’s 240 learners, Christmas came early. A good Samaritan concerned by the plight facing the learners mobilised the parcels to donate to them.
Most of the learners come from poor backgrounds, whose families depend on social grants for income.
The school principal highlighted some of the challenges at the school:
“There is no accredited certificate. The second challenge is transport. We’ve got a challenge of learners or continuous absenteeism of learners because there is no transport for them to come to school. The other thing we need is a hostel facility where all the learners could be accommodated in the school,” says Principal Nki Molosiwa.
More donations needed
The school provides lessons in Arts and Crafts, Welding, Paving as well as food processing.
The good Samaritan who mobilised the resources to donate to the learners says some of them go to bed hungry. The food parcels, toiletries and sanitary towels, for the girl learners, will go a long way in easing their plight.
Reverend Sandra Cindi engaged various community members, NGOs and the Mandela Foundation to assist the learners.
“So that at least they also belong. They also feel loved. They also feel needed. We always run to people who have everything but we forget about people who have nothing. Even if you go down to the lowest people, we do cover them but we never go to disabled people,” says Cindi.
Beneficiaries are delighted and have expressed gratitude at the donations, which they say, will keep hunger at bay.
One of the learners at Let the Light Shine Special School, Kopano Moatlhodi says, “I am really appreciating the Mandela Foundation for giving us the food parcels and we are really, really happy about that.”
It is expected that these donations will make a substantial difference in the lives of the learners, even though it will only be temporarily.
