That Pupil DOES Know That it is Winter

Victoria Park High School is looking to raise the heat in Port Elizabeth through an initiative they will launch on Thursday 4 August which will see the students coming to school in summer uniform in solidarity with young people around the city who have to attend school without warm clothes. The students will give a donation of a warm piece of clothing to charity.

“By wearing a summer uniform on a winter’s day we will all have a taste of what it is like to be cold, and by donating that one item of warm clothing at the end of the school day, we will be able to make a difference in a tangible way,” said Mike Vermaak, Victoria Park High head master.

The idea of this first-ever initiative is loosely based on the concept of “A Day without Shoes”. Four years ago this initiative caught the attention of the world and people were encouraged to go without shoes for an entire day – an experience in empathy where people discovered firsthand what it is like to live without the basic comfort and protection of such an item, often taken for granted.

Victoria Park students may bring a warm piece of clothing to school, which may be worn inside the school building during the school day and placed into a box at the end of the day.

The school has pledged to assign one day a year when learners and staff would donate a warm item of clothing for the benefit of the underprivileged in Nelson Mandela Bay.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE

Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.

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