In December 2021, the packing and distribution of hampers to disadvantaged children in the Klipgat region was rather different to previous years. With the pandemic still quite rife, we needed to ensure that we can still successfully reach the same amount of children, as we do annually, while still ensuring the safety of all volunteers and the children.

Through a large stream of donations that came through from a large number of people, we were able to secure great quality school bags, stationery, masks and liquid sanitizer for 800 disadvantaged children. We were also able to secure a supply of sanitary pads for girls who require them but may not always have access to them.

The packing was done with approximately 20 volunteers at the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj premises on a Friday evening and the bags were distributed swiftly by a small group of volunteers on the Saturday morning in the Klipgat region.

Despite many challenges experienced, the initiative was a success yet again!

A special thanks to all those wonderful volunteers who assisted in packing until late on Friday night. Thanks to SPHSS for the use of the mini hall for this purpose.

A heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who assisted in the distribution at the two venues on Saturday and at the two schools on Monday.

A BIG THANK YOU to our generous donors. You have put a smile on the faces of 800 indigent children as well as 50 young ladies who received 3 months stock of sanitary pads as well as personal under garments. Your donations has ensured that the sanitary pads drive will be repeated for the next three quarters to the same young lasses, who will then in fact, receive sanitary pads supplies for a full year.

An extra special thanks goes out to Howard Shankman of Railway Furnishers, who generously donated all the stationery. Sanjay Govind for the school books. Balwant Parbhoo from Sea Breeze who donated 800 masks for the children, all of whom masked up before receiving their gifts, in line with Covid protocols, as well as to Anil Kalyan from Fine Art Printers for the donation of 800 adult masks. Not forgetting Shiraz Gani for the loan of his truck and driver to transport the bags to Klipgat and surrounds.

See you all next year!