Matric farewells are a highlight for many learners in their last year of high school, but the event often comes with a huge price tag as the amounts for decorations, dresses, nails, make-up, suits and shoes continue to accumulate.
After realising the financial difficulties that single parents face while arranging their children’s matric farewell, community member, Hazel Booysen, from Hankey, began an initiative to help matric learners in her community with all that they need to bring to life their matric farewell dreams.
Booysen who is the founder of Tutor Spot, a homework centre in Hankey, said while spending the last few months arranging all the items her brother needed for his matric farewell earlier this month, she said she realised how expensive suits were.
She then wondered how single parents were able to cope with the financial pressure of arranging their children’s farewell.
To help matric learners who were less fortunate, in September she began an initiative to accumulate all the various items they needed to make their matric farewell special.
“In 2017, my matric farewell was the highlight of my matric year and knowing that there were learners who wanted to attend their special evening but could not, due to financial shortcomings, urged me to do something for the less fortunate matriculants,” said Booysen.
She said that before tackling each situation, she indentified the need for each learner and then shared what she needed on Facebook, which has been a great help for her to accumulate all the necessary items needed such as food, decorations, shoes, make-up, nails and dresses.
Booysen said that Jodene Ruiters has also helped her to make the initiative a success by contributing towards the food needed for the guests who visit the matriculants before they make their way to their farewell event.
“Without the sponsors, none of the projects we embarked on would have been possible. All those who contributed really were of great help and went the extra mile to make the matriculants special night possible,” said Booysen.
Since she began the initiative one month ago, she has managed to help six matriculants in Hankey and Patensie.
“With this movement we help mothers who are struggling financially but have the desire to make their children’s matric farewell a success,” said Booysen.
After noticing the great difference helping what the less fortunate has done in her community, she plans to host the initiative annually and get more people involved to help many more matriculants both in her community and surrounding areas. Apart from Booysen’s good work done in the community through her homework centre and matric farewell initiative, she also recently hosted a holiday programme for children from October 3-7 in Patensie. During the holiday programme she was able to help more than 60 children with reading, writing and concentration skills.
The holiday programme was a success, thanks to financial contributions made by Mará-lee de Beer, Nolie Leroux, Zarius van der Merwe, Endulini Fruits management and JK Walsh, while Kouga Municipality supplied the children with stationery.
Those who assisted with the daily programme included Anthea Claasen, Ruwayne Koert, Zuneida Human, Lee-Ann Goulding, Kaylin Terblanche and Sheldonay Felix.
