When Katherine Brink, co-founder of Little Brinks in Morningstar, started her matric dance project at Buren High School in Brooklyn she never knew that five years later more than 800 girls would benefit from this project.
The 800 matriculants were able to dress up in their first evening gown with shoes and accessories to match and emerge as modern day Cinderellas.
“The past five years Little Brinks were able to assist the girls to look at their best at their first matric ball and my husband and I am pleased to make a small difference in the lives of girls matriculating at the school. The matric dance project is one of many community projects we are doing in the communities of Milnerton and surrounding areas and we hope to do more in the future,” says Brink.
To attend your first matric ball is every girl’s first step to adulthood. You get the opportunity to dress up, maybe wear make-up for the first time or think back to the day when as a toddler you wore your mom’s or granny’s shoes and paraded in front of the mirror.
Five years ago Brink started a matric dance project at Buren High in Brooklyn for matriculants from Ysterplaat, Rugby and Brooklyn where matriculants could borrow a dress and shoes to be the belle at the school’s matric ball.
“I never knew that lending out over 800 dresses the past five years would make such a difference in the lives of matriculants. It’s something so small but for these girls it’s an amazing achievement reaching matric and my husband and I believe they should be celebrated,” says Brink.
She adds that unfortunately not many get to matric due to social and economic circumstances, but Little Brinks are working on getting more to that stage.
“One of the matriculants sent me a message after she was dressed for the matric ball and said: ‘Aunt Kath, you made my night one to remember and for the first time ever I felt like a princess and was told I’m beautiful’. Little Brinks will continue to break as many cycles as possible,” Brink says.
Learners from Milnerton and surrounding areas attend Buren High and the matric dance project was open to all matriculants. Morningstar is a farming community and because not every parent could afford to buy or hire a ballgown or evening dress for their daughter, the project has grown over the years and is very successful.
At the matric ball held in August 2019 at Suikerbossie Restaurant in Hout Bay both girls and guys were dressed to the nines. Family and friends were surprised at the transformation their sons and daughters underwent due to the matric dance project started by Little Brinks.
