The first day of school for this year was a joyful day for 120 orphans from various areas of Nelson Mandela Bay when they received new school uniforms thanks to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Back To School Project.
At a handover event in Motherwell NU13 on Tuesday, 18 January, Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile handed out the new school uniforms to those children who lost their parents as a result of HIV/Aids.
The children received shoes, dresses, shirts, grey trousers, jerseys and ties. The generous donation toward the Municipality’s Back To School project was made by Continental Tyres.
About 500 community members who attended the event burst out in song and cheer in celebration of the momentous occasion.
In 2004 the Municipality’s Back To School project won an international Toolkit Award from the United Nations Habitat at the World Urban Forum in Barcelona.
At the time it was said the project “demonstrates how a small-scale citizen’s initiative can be developed into a larger, longer-term project, supported by many stakeholders.”
Mayor Wayile thanked both Continental Tyres SA and the former Mayor’s of Nelson Mandela Bay who started and continued with the project.
“This project has been running for about 10 years now and it is through the leadership and commitment of former mayors, Nceba Faku and Nondumiso Maphazi that it is still going strong. We as the current leadership commit to take it to another level,” said Wayile.
Mayor Wayile, who is a former employee of Continental Tyres, said the company’s contribution demonstrates that together more can be done for the future of the city’s children.
“These are the kids who did not have hope as the schools were opening, but the partnership between the municipality and the private sector has again yielded positive results.”
Mayor Wayile called on the community to embrace the children who have lost their parents through HIV/Aids.
“These children belong to us as a community and we must make sure that we support them so that they can feel part of a family, even though their parents have passed on,” he said.
On Monday, 17 January, Mayor Wayile handed over school uniforms to 111 children from the impoverished area of Veeplaas. The generous donation was made by Schaeffler SA.
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- The Household Pest Mystery That Starts in the Roof - 25 October 2026
- The Holiday Souvenir Nobody Wants: Bed Bugs in the Luggage - 25 October 2026
- What Comes Out of a Rug Before the Washing Starts? - 25 October 2026
- Desktop Pop-Ups Become the Compliance Channel Email Cannot Deliver - 23 October 2026
- Desktop Pop-Ups Become the Compliance Channel Email Cannot Deliver - 23 October 2026
