Award
3 September 2007
The Minister of Education Ms Naledi Pandor has today become the fourth South
African to receive the World's Children's Honorary Award.
Minister Pandor joins former President Mr Nelson Mandela, Ms Graca Machel
and former Education Minister Professor Kader Asmal, as honorary friend of
World Children's Prize for the Right of the Child (WCPRC).
Pandor was nominated and presented with the Award by Ms Gabatshwane Gumede,
a 13 year-old learner from Ruskraal Primary School in North West province, who
is also the only official representative of the International Child Jury in
South Africa.
The Children of the Jury are experts on the Rights of the Child as a result
of their own experiences. Ms Gumede, herself is an orphan. Her parents died of
HIV and AIDS related diseases.
Presenting the Minister with the Award, she said. "One day, Honourable
Minister, I was so hungry and praying to God to bring my mother back so she
would give me food, then I saw Mr Mandela giving food to children on
television, that made me wonder that if we had more people doing what he does,
we would have a better and friendly society for all our people."
Ms Gumede says beside her work as a HIV and AIDS activist and the Children's
Right Ambassador, she is very concerned about other children "who are not
taking opportunities available to their fullest and those who are out of school
because of various reasons."
In accepting the Award, Minister Pandor thanked Ms Gumede for the hard work
she was doing in helping other children, particularly her peers. The Minister
committed herself to play her role as the Honorary Friend of the Children much
more meaningfully.
Enquires:
Ms Gabatshwane Gumede
Cell: 082 547 1405
Lunga Ngqengelele
Tel: 012 312 5538
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: Ngqengelele.l@doe.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Education
3 September 2007
