Manzi Mashatile Foundation visited Emfundisweni Primary School in Alexandra on Thursday to initiate the eyesight testing and dental monitoring screening in the school. The foundation has adopted the school as a model for a transformation project in Alexandra Township.
Led by CEO Thabiso Mashatile, accompanied by a board of trustees stationed the foundation’s bus at the school as a way of improving the lives of children who are less privileged.
A total of at least 1 169 learners and 37 teachers will have their eyes tested and teeth checked. Mashatile said that the bus would ensure the children at Emfundisweni, where his late wife Manzi started her education, will all have their eyes tested.
“This is because our children often struggle to cope with the learning environment not because they are dull or just don’t understand but it has a lot to do with sight. Some cannot see what the teacher has written on the board and fear to express it and as a result, just live without understanding the lesson of the day.
“It is for this reason why, on this new journey with Emfundisweni’s transformation, I have decided to attend the basic requirements of testing the eyesight of children as they embark on their long educational trip,” Mashatile said.
He added that children found to be in need of spectacles will be provided with glasses that fit their lenses after they have been tested. When the bus is done at Emfundisweni, it will visit other schools in the area to provide the same service.
