GC Mandela Day 2024

"When we read, we can travel to many places, meet many people and understand the world.”- Nelson Mandela

St Stithians Girls’ College collaborated with Leratong Primary School for what we are calling our "Mandela Month". Leratong Primary is situated in Soweto, Orlando East. The school has been without a library for several years due to the increasing number of learners and the lack of suitable space to accommodate one. Recognising the necessity of a library, the school aimed to create a space where learners could read books, particularly in English, expand their vocabulary, acquire information on diverse subjects, and ignite their imaginations. However, the school lacked the funds to purchase necessary materials or even to procure books for reading purposes.

The Girls’ College began collecting books through an initiative called Baking4Books, where students received baked goods in exchange for books. Under the service committee, the student leadership introduced the Accessible Service Club, where students met every Thursday to work on activities for this project. They created colouring books to help the learners of Leratong develop their motor skills. Through one of our students' organisations, Golden Hope, they made alphabet (ABC) boards for the learners. They also made toys under the Clothes To Good initiative, aimed at early childhood development for vulnerable children. Lastly, the students painted shelves for the library.

On Saturday, July 13, a group of GC students, along with the Operations department of our school, a few parents, and staff, went to Soweto to complete the project. The learners enthusiastically participated in various tasks, some painted beautiful artwork outside to make the library stand out, others painted and installed shelves inside the library, and another group sorted and labelled books according to their categories. Once the painting was completed, the books were moved inside the library and organised accordingly. It was heart-warming to see our students excited about creating a space for Leratong learners to explore, imagine, and enjoy a positive learning environment.

On Mandela Day,Thursday 18 July, the atmosphere was buzzing as we walked into the school. Students were busy cleaning the windows, mopping the classrooms, and picking up litter around the school. Every child was actively involved in making their school clean. One of the teachers explained that it is a tradition for the learners to clean the school every Mandela Day.

We arranged the room with chairs and desks and decorated it with colourful counting papers. We brought in bean bags made by our students, provided a comfortable space for the children to relax, and read their books. Shortly after setting up, there was an assembly where we officially opened the library. The learners were filled with excitement upon hearing the news and even sang a song in celebration. The library was then opened to the staff, who had not seen it yet, and a few students. They walked in with expressions of shock and happiness, seeing how a previously abandoned room had been transformed into a beautiful library. The students quickly grabbed books, and some picked educational toys to play with. Teachers started engaging them with activities, such as learning to tell the time, reading novels, playing a fishing game while answering multiplication and subtraction questions, sorting numbers from smallest to largest, learning to tie their shoelaces, and writing their alphabets. Overall, it was heart-warming to see how beneficial this library would be for all the learners and to witness their excitement as they explored all the resources made for them. Now, the learners of Leratong Primary School can travel to many places, meet many people, and understand the world, just through reading, in a comfortable space!

Special thanks to Mr Thembile Makhoba and Mr Foster Khoza from the Operations department for making this project a success, by showing our students how to paint and preparing the site beforehand. Thank you to the Operations Department for donating shelves, paint, and all the necessary materials to assemble the library. Thank you to all our Girls' College students for their organisation and initiative towards this project. Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to the Girls' College parents for your continued support in all our projects. From dropping off your children to help bring this project to life, and donating the materials we needed. Each of you has played a vital role in making this a success. We could not have done it without you.

 A reflection from a Girls' College mother who joined us on Saturday in painting and putting the whole library together:

"It was such a fulfilling moment to be part of this incredible project to support Leratong Primary School. I am a Saints Mom who attended Leratong Primary School. My heart is filled with gratitude that the school was on the list of choices for support. Not only did I come out to help the girls deliver this project, but it was also a gratifying personal moment to go down memory lane and reconnect with my roots. I am so proud of the efforts and dedication demonstrated by the girls and the staff."

Thank you all for your unwavering support and commitment to building better communities. Makwande #OneAndAll!