A breakfast club initiative started by a group of Lavender Hill mothers and grandmothers has ensured that matric learners do not go hungry, especially during their important matric exams.
On Friday 2 December, learners of Lavender Hill High School gathered at the school at 07:00 for a hearty breakfast of cereal, eggs, sausage, bread and coffee before writing their final Afrikaans paper for the year.
Adele Campbell, chair of the Wicht Court Association (WCA), said residents and organisations chipped in to ensure the matrics write their exams on a full stomach.
“We have a breakfast club and as ladies came up with the idea. Various members of the community chipped in like New World Foundation, civic organisations and the security company from the school and they all assisted when help was needed.
“Today we are catering for 188 breakfasts for matrics learners and educators. When we do something, we put our whole heart into it because we all come from Lavender Hill.”
Campbell added that the community always comes together when there is a call for assistance.
“When we call on the community the response is tremendous because these kids, through it all they stood tall.
“Some of these kids may go to university or choose to work in the private sector.
“The idea was to give back and most of all I am an alumnus of Lavender Hill High and today I am a professional through what I’ve been taught.”
She added that the breakfast served was a small gesture to say thank you.
“We are proud of them as our future professionals, doctors and lawyers because I firmly believe that something good can come out of Lavender Hill.”
Lavender Hill High principal Fuad Viljoen says it has become a tradition to serve breakfast at the school.
“For the past few years, we have always served our learners breakfast.
“They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it becomes even more important for a matric learner if they have a warm breakfast and write a three-hour paper. So, it sustains them and it keeps them energised.”
Serving breakfast early in the morning also allows teachers to trace learners who are late.
“We found that once we started offering the breakfast, the learners are here early and they are settled by the time the exam starts.
“It also allows us to see if there are any learners who are late then we can make plans to go fetch the learner or phone the parent.
“For this whole exam period we never had one learner who arrived late, all learners were here for every exam session and breakfast and that speaks volumes.”
He added that the 161 Grade 12 learners this year is the largest group the school has had in many years. “Part of our vision is that we give every learner entering Grade 8 a chance to reach matric.
“So, once we have all of our grades reaching matric, in a way we are also economically empowering a community because we starting to produce Grade 12 learners that can be employable and ready to enter the job market.
“However, it shouldn’t only stop at the Grade 12 level because I firmly believe in lifelong learning and we always encourage our learners to pursue post-matric studies.”
Asa Arendse, a WCA committee member and grandmother, says she joined the breakfast club because she enjoyed helping children.
“Children are our priority and we love to help children, whether it is our children or not, your child is my child.
“I have six grandchildren and five children who are all complete with the school. My youngest son, was only 14 turning 15 when he made a baby.
“That is why I like to work with others children who want to go higher and further because he did not want to.”
