Sanbona – Strive to Educate

- 15 January 2010

Sanbona - Strive to Educate

Cedrick Augus

Packed and ready for school

Cedric at Wimpy

Cedrick Augus is 13years old boy, living on the neighboring farm of Rietjiesbos, and has never been to school…

It makes you realize how privileged all of us are for our parents to have been able to afford to provide an education for us.

Early December 2009 it was brought to our attention that there were some children on the neighboring farm whose parents could not afford to send them to school. This is quite sad as schooling is for free, but he would have to board at ‘Huis Tradouw’ in Barrydale, and this was R200-00 for 2009, and previously it was as little as R150-00.

We contacted Barrydale’s School, and managed to secure a placement in both the school and ‘Huis Tradouw’. There was however no additional funding available for any socio Economic Development for 2009 and we were left to mercy of people with big hearts and deep pockets.

An email was sent out where we requested any donations towards Cedricks education.

The money started rolling in.

We were able to secure his boarding levy for 2010, as well as buy him all materials and uniform he would need for the coming year, as well as pocket money for each week.

His parents filled in his application papers and we then told Cedrick that he would be attending school this year, he was so excited.

On Monday 11^th January 2009, we took Cedrick and his mom, Leentjie, to Barrydale for his school and boarding registration. With the most important completed we took him to Montagu to kit him out with all that he needed for school. He carried the basket as we piled in school shirts, pants, shorts, socks, underwear, shoes, raincoat, some civies, soap, facecloths, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, roll-on, hangers, pencils, crayons, coloring pencils, erasers & sharpener, books, cello tape, covering plastic, bookcase, suitcase, pencil case and lunchbox. We had to get a second basket, and when we stood at the till, he came and stood close next to me and asked ‘is this all mine?’…his smile grew even bigger when I told him that it was.

Our day ended with a burger at Wimpy, and this was an experience! After the food came he sat there looking at it, I had to eventually persuade him that it is his and that he could tuck in.

Cedrick finally joined all the Kids that live on Sanbona on Tuesday 12^th January 2009 as they were transported to ‘Huis Tradouw’ In Barrydale to start their 2010 school year.

Reports from the boarding house is that Cedrick is first up in the morning and ready for breakfast and school way before all of the other kids are!!!

The whole experience have been extremely rewarding, and an eye opener to the conditions the local communities live and work under, as well as a motivation to strive to do more in 2010.

Thank you to everyone who donated, you made the difference…it is however a dynamic process, the donation box is always open…!

We will be furthering our Socio Economic Program by reaching out to one of the schools in the area which are surviving with the bare minimum.