Invanechia Jooste, a Grade 3 learner from Petunia Primary School in the Western Cape, Kraaifontein received international recognition from the award-winning FAST Heroes programme.
She received Tanya’s Top Teaching Award, to recognise her great enthusiasm to pass on the knowledge about stroke education and prevention to her family and peers. National Co-ordinator for the FAST Heroes campaign, Charmaine Elliott explains how Invanechia stood head and shoulders amongst the rest of the 168 entries from around the global competing for this accolade. “She is most deserving of this recognition having assisted her teacher with the FAST Heroes lessons and helping her classmates, which also boosted her self-confidence and development.”
Another Western Cape school teacher and learner from Brackenfell Primary School also reached this year’s finale, Hanre Voster, a Grade 3 learner was a worthy contender, “he’s tenacity for the programme and topping the FAST Heroes global leader board on several occasions is no mean feat, we are proud of his achievement,” explains Elliott.
Nina Ras from Brackenfell Primary school was recognised as a finalist for the Teacher’s Award and is South Africa’s national teacher of the year for this award-winning campaign. “Nina registered over 500 learners to participate in the FAST Heroes campaign and contributed to breaking the Guinness World Record earlier this year,” notes Elliott.
The FAST Heroes campaign teaches children to recognise the three most common stroke symptoms when “the evil Clot” strikes: a face that suddenly droops to one side, an arm that suddenly becomes weak and speech that is slurred, or “broken”. Children participating in the 5-week programme undergo weekly simulation and repetition to learn the essential life skill of staying calm and how to call an ambulance immediately by dialling 112 on any mobile device.
