A YOUNG Motherwell boy made Nelson Mandela Bay proud when he was recently honoured with the number one spot in the country in the Pick n Pay Hero Awards Courage category.
Amahle Kameni (11), a learner at Vezubuhle Primary School in Motherwell, is the overall winner in the category for 2022 and was chosen out of several entries from all over South Africa.
As Amahle is very shy, CEO of the Giving Them Wings Foundation, Siya Ntsumpa, who works with the young in the metro, spoke on behalf of Amahle and said that the young hero was overjoyed when he won and couldn’t hold back the tears.
Ntsumpa explained that Amahle was nominated by one of his teachers who felt he needed recognition for the courageous and commendable work that he does for the school.
“Amahle was chosen because of his commitment to anti-bullying and also taking time to look after the school during the school holidays, and even over weekends. He is very passionate about anti-bullying and keeping the school safe,” said Ntsumpa.
“The school has fallen victim to several break-ins previously, and Amahle was leading learners who kept an eye on the school during that period. This was instrumental in keeping the school safe, as much as possible. Generally, he is an all-rounder and a pleasure to his teachers.
“He is always there when you need him. He really plays a huge role in the defence of the school and even participates in security programmes during the school holidays. It also makes sense that he is part of the school’s anti-bullying programme. He cried tears of joy at the handover. Amahle was overjoyed at winning but he is a very shy boy and not much of a talker,” Ntsumpa added.
Amahle’s teacher, Nokuzola Zita, who nominated him, is grateful that Amahle can be counted on, no matter what.
“I am very proud of him. He is very much a role model to his peers,” she said.
Amahle received a certificate and a R5 000 gift voucher from Pick n Pay.
“As we look with pride at the work done by Amahle, we hope that more learners will contribute positively to their schools and also see themselves as change makers that bring value to society,” said Ntsumpa.
