Warriors give hope to learners at Bramble Way Primary
31 October 2019
Warriors of Hope (WOH), an organisation that aims to ‘spread a little hope, show a little love, give a little strength and keep the faith’, has been making a difference in the lives of learners at Bramble Way Primary School in Bonteheuwel since 2017.
WOH consists of volunteer facilitators, one of which is Shanaaz Galant, a Chief Education Specialist at the WCED Head Office. Zeenat Parker is the Chairperson of Warriors of Hope and also part of the Red Cross Hospital Chaplaincy.
The organisation has three components: Sexual Reproductive Education (and producing a booklet); Distribution of reusable sanitary towels; and the Chaplaincy at Red Cross Memorial Children’s Hospital.
WOH has established a wellness programme in schools offering and dedicating their energy to vulnerable children on a weekly basis, supporting them to make positive and long-term changes in their lives. Their main focus is teaching life-skills like values, self-respect, peace-keeping skills, mediation, acts of kindness, self-management skills, creating awareness about peer pressure and bullying, mindfulness through meditation, menstrual health, etc.
WHO also handed out reusable sanitary towels to learners, refugees and at Tygerberg Hospital. The reusable sanitary towels are environmentally friendly and a constructive way of reducing our carbon footprint.
WHO started distributing sanitary towels to Grade 7 learners in 2017 and soon realised that there was a need for more life skills workshops at the school. The programme has been expanded to equip Grade 4 and Grade 7 learners with coping mechanisms for the situations they are faced with in the community.
Galant said the organisation would like to expand to other schools and is looking for more facilitators and male role models to inspire the youth with insightful, helpful and constructive programmes. She said volunteers do not have to unemployed. “Because I work fulltime, I do what I can during my leave days, after hours and on weekends.”
Shanaaz certainly epitomises the values of caring and kindness!
