The new school year kicked off on a high note for the learners at ZZ2 Primary School in Mooketsi, Limpopo when they all received brand-new school bags. The bags not only lit up their faces, but will now also lighten the weight of having to carry home their heavy school books.
The school’s principal, Hendrik Ramapuputhla, says the learners were extremely happy when the bags were handed over to them. “They are very, very happy about the bags and they are shining with it.”
The school has since been inundated with calls from the local community who are also keen on receiving school bags for learners at surrounding schools.
The well-known farming enterprise ZZ2, which farms with tomatoes, cherries, apples and stud cattle, amongst other produce, initially sponsored the bags to participants at the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Connections conference late last year.
As part of the PMA’s “Donate a School Bag” project attendees at the conference were then asked to donate their bags for this good cause. “Education and training are an integral part of how ZZ2 contributes to society. It was an honour to be part of this project,” says ZZ2 Marketing Manager, Clive Garrett.
The learners – mostly the children of agri-workers – noticeably beamed with excitement when they first held their bright yellow bags, which are manufactured from the materials of recycled billboards. Garrett says, “The fact that it is made from recycled material further contributes to ZZ2’s quest to be a responsible environmental corporate citizen and is in line with our philosophy towards farming.”
Ramapuputhla added that all 73 learners registered at the school received a bag that has come to be quite handy. “They are very helpful. The learners are able to carry them easily. The books fit in the bags – even for the grade 7’s. Although they have many books, they fit in the bags. It is something out of this world!”
The school bag manufacturer, E-Yako Green, is a proudly South African company and an empowerment project in KwaZulu-Natal. E-Yako Green supports sustainability through the creation of local jobs and the upcycling of waste into products.
