Ocean View cadets pay it forward

The Vigis Home of Hope has used a R1500 donation it received for its cadets programme to support its feeding scheme at Ocean View High School.

The non-profit organisation received the donation from The Diner's Club, a non-profit company that helps vulnerable children in the far south through its "dining with a purpose" initiative (“Diner’s Club changing lives one meal at a time,“ Echo, July 18).

The donation was handed over at The Diner’s Club’s October fund-raising evening at a Glencairn restaurant on Thursday October 24.

VHOH Ocean View cadets project manager Vasco Vigis said the cadets were grateful for the donation but had chosen to use it to support VHOH's efforts to provide meals for Ocean View High School matrics during their matric exams. That initiative had started on Monday October 21 and would run until Monday November 25, he said.

VHOH director Dimetre Vigis said that while the exams mostly took place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, not all the matrics wrote every day, resulting in varying numbers, but there were 155 matrics writing this year.

Meals are prepared in the mornings and delivered to Ocean View High School for distribution to the pupils at 7.30am.

Writing an exam on an empty stomach could lead to dizziness and difficulty concentrating, he said.

"A good education is vital for our community's future, and this is why we have started this initiative.“

Ocean View High School principal Andrew Sanders said many of their pupils came from disadvantaged homes where they were not guaranteed a meal.

“We have seen the impact this has on our pupils, and they are more engaged in their studies.

“It is heart-warming to see there are still people out there who are willing to give, especially children.”