SPARK Schools Ferndale steps up to help flood victims

Learners from SPARK Schools Ferndale with some of the items they collected for the victims of the floods in KwaZulu Natal. The devastating floods in KwaZulu Natal last month shocked all South Africans as the country watched the deadly impact of the rain on the people of that province. Many South Africans offered help in the form of donations to alleviate the human suffering happening in our eastern provinces. For a teacher at SPARK Ferndale in Johannesburg, the tragedy on our eastern coast hit home with a deeply personal force.

Ferndale principal Lezanne Jacobs explains:

“After a conversation with one of our teachers whose family was deeply affected by the floods, we decided to ask our school family to donate what they could. “We aim to embody our school’s core values and we felt it was important to show service and kindness to our greater community.” Jacobs says food, clothing, blankets, and water was donated by the school community.

“Those who didn’t have anything of monetary value to offer were encouraged to make cards or write letters of encouragement to those affected,” she says. Jacobs says a volunteer from Westville (KZN) has delivered SPARK Ferndale’s bags of collected flood relief to Durban and surrounding areas.

The April flooding along the KZN coast has left 461 people dead and 80 missing. More than 17 000 homes have been affected and 6278 people have been left homeless. At least 7000 people are living in shelters after their homes were destroyed by mudslides and gushing stormwater. The KwaZulu Natal government has estimated the cost of rebuilding the province at R25 billion.