The global Covid-19 pandamic exposed the vulnerability of many sectors of our society, particularly learners in vulnerable communities desperately trying to save their academic year.
“At African Bank we recognise the importance of education in uplifting communities and with all the uncertainty caused by Covid-19 we thought it best to support some of our university and Grade 12 students,” says Kennedy Dembetembe, Head: Corporate Social Investment (CSI) at African Bank.
“The one thing that is clear is that this pandemic is a vital reminder that human beings are on this planet to take care of each other — and business is a way we can leverage this purpose,” he says,
Dembetembe says through the bank’s partnerships with organisations such as Vodacom and Digital Planet, they were able to donate 45 tablets to Nomzamo High School in Somerset West along with 70 R10 000 Digital learning vouchers for top students. “We were also able, with the Department of Education to donate nine laptops to nine top performing students in Daveyton and Thembisa. These matriculants have proved that even though the pandemic, they will not let anything get in the way of their studies. We say HALALA! Grade 12s, keep up the good work and don’t lose focus on the bright future ahead of you all.”
Students were represented at he following schools: Etwatwa Secondary School, Lesiba Secondary School, Unity Secondary School and Hulwazi Secondary School in Daveyton and then at Ingqayizivele Sceondary School, Sizwe Secondary School, Charlotte Maxeke Secondary School and Ikusasa Comprehensive School in Tembisa.