Isiseko Students Using Ground as Writing Surface
DeskBags comes to the rescue and donates 260 FREE hybrid school desk/bags to deskless pupils of Isiseko Junior Secondary School in East London
During the month of May, news broke and hit all mainstream media about Isiseko Junior Secondary School in East London which faced a severe desk shortage. Majority of the pupils were forced to either use the floor, or sacrifice their chairs to use as a writing surface.
According to Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga’s parliamentary response, there over 3 million children who do not have school desks and are forced to use the ground as a writing surface. DeskBags is an innovative solution to this South Africa challenge. The Non-Profit Company (NPC) provides hybrid satchels that double as school bags and portable desks when folded open onto the child’s lap. The front flap of the bags is reinforced with ABS plastic, ensuring a hard and stable surface for children to use and to write on while doing their work at school and homework at home.
Mr South Africa 2016, Armand Du Plessis raised enough funds through a social media call-to-action to provide 100 DeskBags to the 260 students from Isiseko Junior Secondary School. DeskBags kindly donated the additional 160 bags allowing all students to now learn with dignity.
On Friday, 9 June DeskBags did the official handover at the school.
"It was once said that education is the most important we can use to change the world. This has been the reason behind my involvement with DeskBags, before my year as Mr South Africa, during my year of reign and now after my reign as Mr South Africa. I recently came across an article about a school in the Groot Kei area, which left me speechless how little students (who is passionate about studying and attending school), which inspired me to get 100 of my friends to support this cause by giving them the gift of education, and most importantly to change the world," expresses Du Plessis.
Managing Director of DeskBags, Shannon Roscher explains that the DeskBags campaign is aimed at enabling underprivileged South African students to have access to basic education tool such as a portable desk allowing them to develop to their fullest potential. The lack of a desk as a writing surface puts these underprivileged learners at an immediate disadvantage as it affects their handwriting, concentration, eye sight and most noticeably, their overall academic performance.
Roscher says the bags were specifically designed to be tough and durable. “They are rugged enough that, when well looked after, can last a pupil many years. They have been constructed using recycled billboard materials making the bags tough and waterproof yet light enough to be carried even by a Grade 0 student. DeskBags are also reflective which make school learners visible when walking along busy roads.”
“We recognise that we alone are not going to be able to resolve this massive issue on our own. We therefore appeal to corporates and individuals alike to help us distribute as many bags as possible to schools in need across South Africa. With your help, we can give every child in South Africa the best chance of a great education. Our vision will succeed through partnerships, especially between the private and public sectors collaborate. Only through the support of corporate South Africa can DeskBags be deployed to poverty-stricken areas in the sort of quantity that could make a difference in the lives of all these needy students. DeskBags has provided over 100,000 DeskBags to date. Our vision is for the widespread distribution of DeskBags in South Africa, and more broadly among the more than 95 million underprivileged deskless learners throughout Africa,” concludes Roscher.
The donations from corporate South Africa such as many of the JSE-listed companies that have supported DeskBags over the years are key to the sustainability of the programme. Bags cost as little as R200.00 each, corporates are encouraged to support needy schools in their areas of operation and can sponsor a class, a grade or preferable an entire school.
For more information about DeskBags and how you can contribute to their efforts, visit www.deskbags.co.za or contact them directly on info@deskbags.co.za or 011 896 1818.
