City, Primedia assist needy learners at Alexandra school

09 November 2016

 

With the festive season school break only a few weeks away, many learners are already dreaming about how their parents are going to pamper them during the summer holidays.  But learners at Skeem Primary School in Alexandra are already one up on their peers. On Tuesday November 8, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Herman Mashaba and a team from Primedia Outdoor arrived at their school to present them with gifts that included stationery items and sanitary pads.  "I guess Christmas has come early for learners at Skeem Primary School," quipped Primedia Outdoor CEO Dave Roberts.

Executive Mayor Mashaba said it was heart-warming to be at the school to represent the City of Johannesburg and join Primedia Outdoor in handing out books and sanitary pads to learners.  He said the stationery supplies would ensure that the learners have what they need for next year's school programme.

Cllr Mashaba said every child had a right to quality education, irrespective of their socioeconomic circumstances.  "What I saw this morning was kids full of potential. It's our responsibility to nurture these kids and ensure they reach their full potential," he said. The school has capacity for 800 learners but it currently caters in excess of 1 400 children.  "I'm glad that Primedia Outdoor recognised the needs of this community ... It is only through education that we can uplift our communities," said Cllr Mashaba.

Roberts said his company's corporate social investment (CSI) programme, which was now in its sixth year, identified schools in Gauteng that needed assistance.  He said Primedia chose not to have a Christmas party for its staff but to use the money intended for that purpose to benefit learners instead. "It's rewarding to give back. I want to encourage learners to work hard and use this gift that we're giving to them today," said Roberts.

Principal Mashishi said he was grateful his school was chosen as the recipient of the gifts.

"I'd like to let you (the City of Johannesburg and Primedia Outdoor) know that you have made a big difference in the lives of our learners," he said.