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Mpontshini Programme
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Mpontshini Primary School is situated in the Majwayiza sub-district of Ingwavuma. The school principal, Hlengiwe Mthimkulu, realized that many children in her school depended on the Government Feeding Scheme as their only daily meal. She and her staff clubbed together to find a way to help feed children over weekends and school holidays. They took it in turns to bring food from their own homes to ensure that these children had something to eat during these times. It soon became evident that they were not going to be able to bring enough to meet the growing numbers.
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Hlengiwe then held meetings with the Governing Body and parents of the school and asked them to identify which children were the most needy in their community. Meetings were held with the local induna, and his support and approval were obtained for a plan to begin fundraising for a weekend and holiday School Feeding Programme.
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It was decided that providing a meal for a child is more cost effective (R1.25 per day) than giving raw ingredients to children to take home. It also ensures that the food gets to the right children. Included in the fundraising criteria was a salary of R12,50 per day for the woman who cooks the food.
This pilot feeding programme has been so successful and has made such a difference to the lives of these vulnerable children, that plans have been underway to replicate this programme in other schools in the area. The two main criteria needed to ensure the success of the programme are:
- a caring, efficient school manager and staff
- a good working relationship with, and co-operation from, the parent community.
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Two of the trustees, Hlengiwe Mthimkulu and Bridget Walters, live and work in education in the area of Ingwavuma. Their local knowledge of the schools and communities means that as far as possible, they are able to discern and investigate these criteria. So far Zisize has obtained funding to replicate the feeding programme at a second school: Mgedula Primary. This school lies in another sub-district of Ingwavuma and forty children there now receive one good meal a day over weekends and during school holidays.
A third school has been identified as meeting the necessary criteria: Okhayeni Primary in the Sambane sub-district of Ingwavuma. So far 50 children have been identified by the Governing Body and parent community as being in need of help.
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