The St. Peter’s Anglican Church congregation has accepted Tlogatloga Junior Secondary School staff and students’ donation of 482 litres of ultra high temperature milk and referred to it as divine intervention that echoes the Vision 2016 goals at a time when donor empathy had reached its lowest ebb.
According to St. Peter’s Day Care Centre Matron Mudereri, the milk donation to the 79 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) of pre-school ages 2 to 6, and another 32 after school, underscores the students’ visionary approach and sense of belonging to relieve the plight of the marginalized, closes forthwith allegations of declining student discipline and other misdemeanors on and off campus.
Without exception, guests invited to witness the students’ generosity to further portray the divine intervention, referred to the Biblical quote: “Blessed is the hand that gives!”
“Having survived on intermittent milk hand-outs from community and entrepreneurial goodwill, we were threatened with a dry patch as a result of donor fatigue,” Mudereri said. “While battling with the impending dilemma and being at wits’ end to sweet talk a sympathetic donor that is when the Tlogatloga divine intervention rescued the day. Children should drink at least 400 ml of milk daily to maintain good health. Little did we know that God had answered our prayers, when we were scrapping the bottom of our container as a result of a supply run out.”
She said that at the OVC’s current daily rate of milk, intake was reduced to 300 ml per child as a cost cutting strategy, and added that the donation should last the whole of August and another two weeks of September.
But the donation spirit could not have survived long without compassion and due diligence of Tlogatloga Junior Secondary School Guidance Teacher Bakadzi Mbulawa, in collaboration and blessing of the School Head, Pelonomi Moima. In her opening remarks, Mbulawa quoted 2 Corinthians 9 verses 6 & 7: “He, who sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly; but, he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity ; for God love a cheerful giver.”
Mbulawa told Sunday Standard in a separate interview that the donation was a joint effort among students and staff members to add value to the lives of the OVCs of St. Peters.
“As a result, we have to some extent fulfilled the Vision 2016 goal of: A Just, Caring and Compassionate Nation. The gesture forges a partnership with the Centre, children and the Anglican congregation.”
Commenting on the Tlogatloga JSS donation, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development’s Assistant Director, South East Region, Oduetse Botshelo described the donation as God’s call referred in the Book of Genesis of being of service to fellow countrymen. He said the donation should not be the last but the beginning of a sustained relationship as long as the need arises.
Fourteen-year-old Tlogatloga JSS student, Nomalongelo Mntande, said: “I think donating milk is a very good thing because sharing is caring for others, especially the needy. The milk we donated is going to give them Calcium, which is good for the bones. We are giving this milk cheerfully with open hearts.”
