Learning is made much more difficult when you don’t have the necessary nourishment to fuel your brain. Add a global pandemic to that, and you have a dire situation.
This is the reality for many students across the country, struggling to learn while also living through a financial disaster as many of their parents have lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A group of Good Samaritan teachers at Florida High School in Ravensmead have come together to do what they can to help their students through this tough time. Each month, they pool together a portion of their salary to help fill the empties bellies of their students.
“Some teachers at our school realised that many parents in the community have lost their jobs or are working shorter hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They then asked all staff members to contribute R100. We bought necessities and made up 24 food parcels, containing 12 items in the first month (July) and 30 food parcels in August,” Florida High’s Financial Officer Nicky Le Roux told Cape Town ETC.
“We identify the learners whose parents were affected. We then issued a ticket to those parents. The parents then collect the food parcel at the school on the date stated on the ticket. We aim to feed all people in the community that has been affected by the pandemic.”
WATCH: Teachers at Florida High School in Ravesmead are pooling money together to help feed their students. pic.twitter.com/blrHRzIV1N
— Cape {Town} Etc (@CapeTownEtc) September 17, 2020
The school hopes to extend this initiative indefinitely, and are sending donation letters out to companies. They are also appealing to the public for assistance. Anyone who would like to get involved may donate non-perishable food to the school.
For further information, Le Roux can be contacted at 082 717 1049 or via email on [email protected]
Picture: Screenshot from video
