It’s amazing how recycling heaps of bottle tops or bread tags can change another person’s life with the gift of a wheelchair . . . what’s even more amazing is that youngsters such as eight-year-old Jamie Trauernicht care so much to devote his free time to collect as many recyclables for this cause.
It’s amazing how recycling heaps of bottle tops or bread tags can change another person’s life with the gift of a wheelchair . . . what’s even more amazing is that youngsters such as eight-year-old Jamie Trauernicht care so much to devote his free time to collect as many recyclables for this cause.
This little man in Grade 2 has been collecting bottle caps for roughly two years as part of Rondebosch Boys’ Preparatory School’s (RBPS) Bread Tags for Wheelchairs campaign, which the school started in 2008 to support the project originally launched by Mrs Mary Honeybun in 2006, according to the school newsletter.
Jamie has collected a bag of approximately 10 kg this year alone, while his mother Andrea said last year’s haul was around 15 kg.
She said another milestone or remarkable quality this project has added to James’ life is “a sense of kindness and being able to help”.
“He has all our neighbours, family and friends collecting. He even gets from a friend when they visit from Johannesburg. I’m forever opening my front door to bottle tops and bread tags from the wonderful neighbours in our estate.”
This campaign is a continuous project that the school supports in which the boys hand in their bottle tops weekly.
“They get merit points for doing so too. Last year, Jamie got so many merits he was able to share his merits with other boys in the class if they were missing one or two for their reward, which includes a civvies day, for example.”
Although he has not yet witnessed an official handover of a wheelchair during his time at school “his mind was blown when he found out it takes 450 kg of bottle tops to bring in enough money to make just one wheelchair. He also collects bread tags, as they too can be used towards wheelchairs.”
Bread tags and bottle tops are made of high-impact polystyrene and can be melted down and made into picture frames, skirtings, cornices, coat hangers and seedling trays. It takes 200 kg of bread tags and 450 kg of bottle tops to bring enough money to buy one wheelchair.
“Due to our ongoing support of this project, RBPS was allowed to nominate two people for wheelchairs,” the school announced. “The recipients of the wheelchairs were Willem Phillipus from Ysterplaat and Tinevimbo Donelle Mupamhanga from Blouvlei LSEN School.”
When he’s not on the hunt for more recyclables Jamie loves sports by participating in hockey and cricket and “loves being muddy and dirty. He has an amazing passion for nature and animals.”
Asked what kind of role he wishes to play in the world as a grown man, mom Andrea chimes in, remarking that he changes his mind from wanting to be a firefighter to being a vet and a helper at an animal shelter.
“I want to be everything,” he declared to People’s Post.
“It makes us proud as parents that he likes to know he is helping and making a difference.
“To see how he has learnt that doing something small can end up being so profound, and with such huge results, has made us proud and we will continue to support him in whatever way we can when he wants to help,” concludes an ecstatic mother.
