Today Amway South Africa donated 1584 desks to two disadvantaged schools in Elliotdale, a rural farming community 50kms south of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

Sirunu Primary School and Ganisulu Secondary School were chosen due to the urgency of their situation.

With over R2.2-million invested by Amway since 2010, the Amway Tutudesk Campaign was formed to support the Desmond Tutu Tutudesk Campaign and its goal to provide 20 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa with mobile lapdesks by the end of 2020.

Following the 2015 South African budget speech in February this year, it is evident that quality and efficiency remain at the top of the Department of Basic Educations (DoBE) priority list. With the local government setting itself a goal to ensure that schools meet the minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure by 2016.

The importance of the private sector was also highlighted in the budget speech as being an essential strategy to ensure children receive a solid education, even in schools were infrastructure is a problem.
“Schools need support to create a nurturing environment conducive for learning,” said Raj Parshotam, general manager of Amway South Africa. “It is for this reason that we chose to support the Tutudesks campaign as we believe in the value of education and skills development.”

In an address by the minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga (MP) in March, she addressed the importance of literacy in the country, noting that it is a "key lever of change and a tool of empowerment". The minister went on to say that reading literacy can be defined as "understanding, using and reflecting on written texts in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential, and to participate in society."

Parshotam echoed what the minister said in her address by noting that writing is a critical tool for learning as it helps children to absorb knowledge, impacting them throughout their life. With an unemployment rate of over 26% in South Africa, he points out that a good education foundation is critical to the future success of South Africa.  

The fact that infrastructure does play a significant role in children’s development, especially when it comes to literacy, was highlighted in a panel discussion hosted by the DoBE and the International Reading Association (IRA). The research conducted by the IRA explored key factors that contribute to a culture of literacy, these included: environmental, skills development, support structures and the need for appropriate materials.

“Principals, across all of the schools touched by the partnership to date, agree that that pupils are more eager to learn and go to school if they have their own desk to sit behind as they feel empowered to learn. It instills pride, a sense of ownership but also a sense of belonging,” according to Shane Immelman, director of The Desmond Tutu, Tutudesk Campaign Centre.

Parshotam concluded by saying that Amway South Africa will continue their support of South African children in underprivileged communities.

For more information visit the Amway South Africa website or the Tutudesk website. Alternatively, connect with the campaign via Facebook and Twitter.