The school is a no fee school situated in the eMalahleni suburb of Tasbet Park.
ANC chief whip in the Mpumalanga provincial legislature Fidel Mlombo has donated dozens of pairs of school shoes and sanitary towels to disadvantaged learners at Duvha Combined School in eMalahleni.
The school shoe donation drive was a campaign run by the Nombulelo Foundation and was sponsored by local businesses MfisoMEDIA and Masontos.
The foundation’s Nombuso Tshabalala stated that they intentionally chose the school because even though it is situated in a suburb the children who attend come from disadvantaged homes in the surrounding area.
Mlombo – while observing strict covid regulations – addressed a small group of learners in the school’s hall shortly after 8am Wednesday 10 March 2021.
He emphasized the importance of going to school and completing your education and encouraged the learners to stay away from things that can influence them negatively, like romantic relationships at a young age and drug use.
“If you want to be successful in life you must not jump stages. You must be a child at the time you are supposed to be a child and finish your schooling and then you can move to the stage of being an adult.
“If you want to achieve your dreams the first thing is that you must always listen to your parents and secondly you must be disciplined,” said Mlombo.
He said he has taken a decision that his office in the legislature will now adopt the school and will work hand-in-hand with the principal to assist with the many challenges the school faces.
“We are very proud of this initiative by the foundation and I want to declare that starting today my office will adopt this school.
“As from today you must know that you have a second father, the principal is your father but now you have another father who will take care of you” Mlombo said to loud appaluse.
Tree of Hope
After donating the school shoes Mlombo visited the Duvha Park RDP settlement, an intergrated human settlements project which is part of government’s policy to do away to apartheid spatial planning by building low cost housing closer to areas of economic activity.
The Tree Of Hope is a relic of public art commissioned by a local community activist in Dec 2020. It stands at over 20m tall and was constructed by Darkling Scrap Industries using scrap metal. It was erected as a symbol of hope in the community of Tasbet View.
The tree is part of a bigger project called a cyber-botanical garden which is the vision of community leader Zweli Mashifane.
Mlombo planted a tree as part of an effort to develop the botanical park. With 16 trees already planted, the goal is to plant 30 trees in total, dozens of shrubs and succulents as well as bushes and hedges.
Manager of Darkling Scrap, Leo Darkling donated food parcels to members of the nearby community.
(edited by NQM)
send tip-offs to editor@013.co.za
