Pick n Pay School Club kicks off Hero Week by announcing its first Heroes

Pick n Pay School Club kicked off its search for young heroes by awarding learner heroes nominated from different schools around the country. Young heroes were acknowledged for their actions in inspiring and motivating those around them, through their personal choices and positive impact.

Teachers, parents, scholars and community members nominated a young hero of their choice from a local school via the participating local radio station. The Pick n Pay Hero Week came to life from the 4^th February 2013 on four regional radio stations’ breakfast shows – Kaya FM, OFM, Algoa FM and East Coast Radio.

Additionally, each hero’s school received 500,000 Smart Shopper Points, equivalent to R5,000. Pick n Pay General Manager for Marketing, Malcolm Mycroft said: “The young hero awards gives Pick n Pay the opportunity to acknowledge students who have overcome difficulties and have contributed to their peers and community.”

Gauteng learners who earned the title of hero were as follows:

            Thuli Masipa- Bryanston High School (18 years)

Thuli was in a horrific car accident last year, suffering bad injuries. She was in hospital for a long time, and then went to be rehabilitated. She was therefore unable to complete her matric year but has since been brave enough to come back to school this year to get her matric.

            Nhlanhla Mavundla - Tsakane Secondary School (17 years)

Nhlanhla is a strong, clever and mature learner. Her mother passed away when she was 14 years old and she had to take care of her two young brothers, aged between 5 and 6, without the support of any family. She had to make sure there was food on the table for her siblings and also made sure that her siblings were clean when they attended every day. Life was very difficult for her but she never gave up at school and always looked after her young brothers.

            Agisanang Bodibe - Theo Wassenaar Primary School (Grade 7)

Agisanang is a heroic leader who has won seven gold medals in an athletic competition that recently took place in his region. He participated in six track events and one field event.

            Ahmed Palodia- Al Aqsa School (6 years)

Ahmed Palidia has an iron leg.  He can kick, run, jump, skip and swim. He aspires to be a pro cricketer like Hashim Amla one day and says that he can do anything because he believes in himself. 

Al-Aqsa School- Ahmed Palodia

       Boitumelo Nalane - Tsholetsega Public School (13 years)

Boitumelo Nalane is a hard working child known to be very obedient, respectful and a pleasure to teach.  She respects everybody and    is    an achiever academically and on the sports field. “Heroes play an important role by making a difference to all of our  lives.  Congratulations to all achievers of these awards.  We thank Kaya FM and the participating schools for working with us to acknowledge the amazing achievement of these learners”, concludes Mycroft.

Kwa-Zulu Natal learners who earned the title of hero were as follows:

            Dylan Cohen - Hillcrest Primary School (10 years)

Dylan's brother is a special needs child and Dylan is very good to him. He makes him breakfast, pours juice, looks out for him and always sticks up for him when people tease him. He is compassionate and caring for his brother and is a hero to him.

            Jenna Lea Day - Amanzimtoti Primary School (9 years)

Jenna noticed that a girl at her school came to school without food every day; Jenna began to share her food with the other girl. She even started asking her mom to pack a lunch for two every day. They were not friends at first but now they are friends with each other.

            Colby Marais- Penzance School (11 years)

Colby Marais has been living with brain cancer for 5 years. Last year he asked everybody for money for his birthday, which he collected. Instead of buying himself a skateboard, he gave R1,000 to Toy Story as he wanted a sick child to get a toy to make them feel better. He is a hero and an inspiration to all.

Penzance Primary School- Colby Marais

Micayla Mohunlal- Effingham Secondary School (18 years)

Micayla is such a selfless person. She helps anyone in need, especially her friends who have difficulty at school. She volunteers at the orphanage in Kensington for abandoned infants. She is always kind and polite even when she is having a bad day and is always considerate of others. Last year she did 10 subjects in grade 11 and got 9 distinctions. She is a hard worker and is committed to her studies.

            Fabian Henley- Durban High School (18 years)

Fabian Henley has Muscular Dystrophy, yet he attends a regular high school. He excels in various cultural activities such as music, fishing and more. He participated in Spirit of Adventure in Grade 8 and 9 and he attended his Grade 10 Cobham hike under freezing conditions. He has been a member of the Representative Council of Learners, was a Grade 11 mentor and was involved in Toast Masters. Now, in his Matric year, he is a prefect.

Eastern Cape learners who earned the title of hero were as follows:

      Willie Smalberger  - Jeffreys Bay Primary School (9 years)

Willie Smalberger is in grade 2 at Jeffreys Bay Primary School.  Willie asked his mother to pack extra food in his lunch box.  However, without anyone knowing it, Willie would sit next to his friend every lunch break and offered his friend to share his food with him. The friend ate just enough and then went to share the rest of the food with his two brothers and sisters.  Later on, Willie’s mother learned at parents evening that the three friends came from poor backgrounds, where the children get very little or no food every day.  Their mother is bedridden with cancer for which she is not receiving any treatment.  Their father works, but he does not earn a good salary.   

Jeffreys Bay Primary- Willie Smallberger

      Keagan & Daniella van Rooyen - Clarendon Park Port Elizabeth (12 years and 10 years )

Keagan & Daniella van Rooyen have a disabled sister who started Grade 1 at their school.  They decided between them they would give up their alternating break times to fetch her in her wheelchair and wheel her about the school to show her around and ensure that she is comfortable.  This is an amazing school with a special brother and sister who give up so much of their time to help their sister.

            Chadwin Alexander - Bethvale Primary (12 years)

Chadwin gives his school shoes that no longer fit him to learners in the school who do not have school shoes.

Bethvale Primary School - Chadwin Alexander

             Liesl Schultz - Grens High School  East London (Grade 11)

Liesl Schultz is a Grade 11 learner who belongs to PAT (Pets as Therapy) and visits an old age home every Friday afternoon with her dog, Magnum. She has been doing this for two years. Liesl and Magnum bring joy and friendship to the elderly who are so appreciative of this unusual friendship.

      Patrick Abraham – Victoria High (16 years)

Patrick rescued three different people out of the sea, in January 2011, January 2012 and January 2013.

The Free State learners who earned the title of hero were as follows:

           Vicko Nel – Fichartpark Primary School (13 years)

Vicko Nel is diabetic but does not let that stop him from doing gymnastics and was placed 8th at the Africa Games.  Vicko works harder than other children in order to perform because he uses insulin.  At 13 he is still a boy that struggles to regulate his diabetes but still tries to be on top. Vicko was chosen to represent South Africa in the Zone 6 and African Games which is a huge honour for such a young gymnast. Only two gymnasts from the Free State were chosen to take part.  In December he achieved 8^th place in the whole of Africa. 

            Leandri van den Berg - Diamantveld High School (15 years)

Leandri van den Berg is always there for someone when they need help. Her main priority is considering other people’s feelings.  She loves seeing other people happy and enjoying life.  She’s almost like a mother to some of her friends and always helps those whose parents aren’t always around or don’t care.

            Christiaan du Plooy – Bloemfontein High School (18 years)

Christiaan du Plooy was appointed as head boy for 2013 at his school. He is quiet, but driven and he leads by setting a good example. He impresses his teachers and the other learners by his intelligence and scholastic frame of mind. He always takes a keen interest in his subjects, especially mathematics. He has achieved first position in his grade since Grade 8, always scoring more than a 91% average. He actively participates in different activities and anyone can rely on him.

            Chantane van Niekerk - Ferdinand Postma High School (13 years)

Chantane achieved a lot from a young age through hard work and determination. She has taken part in many competitions such as the ‘World Championships of Performing Arts’ and received 2 gold and 6 silver medals for singing and modelling, but to name a few of her achievements.

Last Christmas, she took some of her toys and gave them to sick children in hospital. She also had a project going for a crèche in Ikageng where she raised money to upgrade it and handed out sweets to the children.  She works at a vet during the holidays and always looks out for stray animals.  Chantane also sings a song that is available on Kinderkersfees CD available in music outlets. 

            Quinton van Aswegen – Volkskool Hoër, Potchefstroom (16 years)

Quinton mixes with all learners and makes sure that all the school children feel included so that their experience of school is enjoyable. He also shares his lunches with other learners.

“Heroes play an important role by making a difference to all of our lives.  Congratulations to all achievers of the awards. We thank Radio OFM and the participating schools for working with us to acknowledge the amazing achievement of these learners”, concludes Mycroft.

About Pick n Pay School Club:

The Pick n Pay School Club is the most influential and dynamic public-private educational platform in South Africa. With ten years of educational excellence they have 2,500 participating schools nationwide and reach over 1, 8 million educators, learners and parents/guardians every year. It offers much needed educational resources through private sector funding and areas of focus include entrepreneurship, health and hygiene, nutrition, literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills.