Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu brings joy to learners and parents in Umzumbe, KZN
Learners and parents from disadvantaged families under the jurisdiction of Umzumbe Local Municipality were filled with joy when they received new school uniform from the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu.
Speaking on behalf of over 300 learners who benefitted from the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) programme, Sibongiseni Nzuza thanked Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu for restoring the dignity of learners from disadvantaged families. He added that the brand new school uniform give the children a sense of belonging and that they will no longer feel out of place at school as they will all look like their peers.
Each of the over 300 learner received a full school uniform, comprising of one pair of shoes, jersey, tie, 5 vests, tracksuit, 3 pants/skirts, 3 shirts, 3 pairs of socks and 5 sets of underwear.
Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu said that Umzumbe Local Municipality is one of the poorest in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal and the provision of school uniforms is an intervention to ensure that learners from disadvantaged families remain in school.
“Learners from poor households should not be made to feel inferior to their peers at school as the only way of breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty is through education,” added Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu.
Today’s distribution of school uniform is part of the Department of Social Development and the South African Social Security’s Social Relief of Distress (SRD) programme - a temporary grant intended for families and households experiencing undue hardships.
The SRD may be in the form of a food parcel, voucher or school uniform which is procured through local cooperatives as a way of stimulating local economic development, particularly in poor communities such as Umzumbe.
The distribution of school uniform by Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu comes as a timely intervention following the recent floods that ravaged communities in the area.
The intervention will go a long way to assist affected families and restore normalcy. The school uniform was procured from local cooperatives to the tune of R 557 512, 00.
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