To ensure that 165 learners from Valhalla Secondary School continue to receive nutritious meals daily, the GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World has provided R74 250 towards the school’s feeding scheme.
“Learners cannot be expected to sit at their desks and concentrate on their books when their stomachs are empty, so this donation is truly one which contributes towards the future of our country by helping to develop the next generation of leaders,” said Valhalla Secondary Principal, Martin Lesch.
The socio-economic development initiative is in partnership with the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA), which addresses hunger in underprivileged young learners and students attending educational institutions through school feeding and other developmental initiatives with the aim of improving school attendance.
According to GrandWest General Manager, Mervyn Naidoo, the casino is also contributing R200 000 towards supplying and installing a container to be used as a kitchen. The 20m² prefabricated structure is wind and airtight and will be fitted with a double sink, stainless steel worktops and windows with burglar proofing which doubles as a serving hatch.
An extractor fan, hot water and gas will be connected, and the required firefighting equipment will also be installed in case of fire. “Having this dedicated space will allow us to continue and expand upon our much-needed feeding programme,” Lesch said.
The school previously used the Consumer Studies classroom as a kitchen, but would now be able to reintroduce this as a subject, should a teacher be hired. Lesch expressed his gratitude on behalf of the school and noted that the learners and teachers were grateful to GrandWest and the PSFA for their assistance.
