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 4th
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 8th 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.
.jpg)
