The Rotary Club of Uitenhage South has embarked on a project to assist Palmietrivier Farm School, which is a very remote school way out beyond Groendal.
“The school is so remote that it cannot have electricity. But the Rotary Club, with the assistance of local companies in Kariega, are busy organising solar panels and batteries. At least they will have the basics and be able to operate the most important piece of equipment they desperately need, namely a photocopy machine,” said Clive Hassel, president of the Rotary Club of Uitenhage South.
“At the request of the school, the club has donated enough chess sets for the school to start a chess club. With the added assistance of Strelitzia High School, they were also able to donate hundreds of pens and pencils, along with boxes of exercise books.”
According to Hassel, a project like this, which can change the lives of learners, is exactly why Rotary got involved. “And we can do so much more when businesses come to the party. What may seem a small donation of even a few hours of labour can make such a difference,” said Hassell.
According to him, proof of this kind of assistance happened after the UD Express published an article about the Rotary Club of Uitenhage South sending aid to flood-victims in KZN, and a woman from Welkom reacted after reading the article on the internet.
“I was contacted by the lady in Welkom whose church had collected a big pile of things for the cause but didn’t know how to get it to KZN or how to have it distributed. A single call from me to a friend in Goldfields Sunset Rotary Club in Welkom totally solved the problem. Free transport and proper distribution by the Rotary Clubs in Durban was organised,” said Hassel.
- Anyone wishing to assist the Rotarians in helping those in need in the community van contact Clive Hassel on 072 889 6405.
