R3 523 735.10. It’s an amount that changes lives; an amount that makes a bleak day a better one. This is the record amount that was distributed to various individuals, schools, projects and welfare institutions during the annual Student Rag Community Service (SRCS) pay-out function earlier this year.
Founded in 1977, SRCS is an initiative like no other and one of the biggest registered student welfare organisations in the world. It is run by students on the Potchefstroom Campus who aspire to serve the university’s surrounding community and those in need of assistance.
SRCS, in partnership with RAG, specifically focuses on the communities of Ikageng and Promosa outside Potchefstroom, and this is reflected in the distribution of funds.
Earlier this year the Student Rag Community Service (SRCS) on the Potchefstroom Campus once again donated a huge amount to institutions and individuals in the Potchefstroom area. Here the campus mascot, Pukki, poses with one of the cheques, together with Prof Fika Janse van Rensburg, the acting campus rector, Prof Annette Combrink, one of the founding members of SRCS, and Janine Möller, SRCS chairperson.
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How schools benefit
Clean, private bathrooms are one of the most pressing needs of pre-primary schools, some of which still use buckets as toilets. Two schools, Agape and Thuto Boswa, received R10 000 and R7 000 respectively to upgrade their bathroom facilities.
Many schools also urgently need their play areas upgraded. With this in mind, the SRCS donated R49 500 to five schools, namely Tshepanang (R10 000), Lesedi La Thuto (R10 000), Dan Thloome (R16 000), Reagola (R3 500) and PNBC pre-school (R10 000).
Tshupane Primary School received R40 000 for the construction of a kitchen that will provide food for 1 200 children every day. A special payment of R50 000 was made to Jane Letsapa Intermediate School for the building of a kitchen and a sickbay. This school is located in the Essie district, about 35 km from Potchefstroom.
President Pretorius and Promosa primary schools received R5 000 and R4 076 respectively for buying sports equipment, while the Bafenyi Trust received R55 000 to build a classroom for the training of early childhood development teachers.
Money was also allocated for the renovation of infrastructure: Witrand Hospital received R10 000, the Promosa 1 project R3 200 and Droomhuis R10 000.
Making a difference
Other SRCS beneficiaries include Child Welfare (R20 000), Families South Africa (FAMSA, R20 000), Free State Care in Action: Vredefort (R10 000) and Nappy Run South Africa (R5 000).
The iDUC project, which focuses on job creation, community upliftment and support for rape victims, received R35 000. This project identifies unemployed women in less fortunate communities and pays them to make little stuffed animals and hooded garments for sale.
The Pedal for Poverty and Musikhane projects received R15 000 and R45 000 respectively. A sum of R1 481 000 was paid to needy NWU students to help with registration, outstanding debt and bursaries.
These are only some of a multitude of projects and initiatives to which SRCS contributed. In addition there are numerous collecting activities for food, clothes and much, much more throughout the year.
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Many thanks
“I want to thank the RAG and SRCS teams for all their hard work,” says Janine Möller, SRCS chairperson. “It is a privilege to be able to work with each and every one of you – your efforts enrich the lives of young and old. Most importantly I want to thank our community. Without their donations, help and sincerity we won’t be able to achieve our goals.
“Every year we succeed in improving on the funds we collect and distribute, and thanks to the generosity of the community we know we can continue to do so.”
