My Social Action Project

I completed my social action project alongside one of my fellow student teachers. Our project, “Lights of Love”, was a successful initiative that touched the hearts of parents, teachers, and learners alike. Rivonia Primary School runs an extra mural social awareness program called “Rivonians on a Mission” (ROAM). This program oversees several initiatives to raise awareness of and encourage an appreciation for daily challenges faced in society. A particular initiative of interest is the school’s affiliation with Reagola Home, a house-turned-care centre in Ebony Park. Most of the children cared for by this home reside in informal settlements and child-headed homes, where electricity is a luxury not afforded by many. As we are currently facing the frustrations of loadshedding in our country, we thought it a good idea to view the situation from different perspective by considering those who do not have the privilege of access to electricity at all.

In response to this social issue, we decided to get the Grade 3 learners involved in the construction of “Loadshedding Lights”, to be donated to the children in need at Reagola Home. Our hope was that the children would be able to use these lights for homework and other essential tasks. These lights were cost-effective and easy to make, comprising simply of a 1 litre plastic bottle and LED string lights. To include parents and learners, we held a fundraising day where learners were invited to come to school in jeans and a brightly coloured shirt, in exchange for R10 and a clear, empty bottle. This initiative received a very positive response, receiving numerous emails from parents and compliments from other teachers. The learners were actively involved in the project, decorating their bottles and letters with markers during art classes. This inspired much excitement in the learners, as they felt as though they were making their own “gift” for another child to receive.

Service learning had a significant impact on me personally, as I was able to witness the pure joy the young learners shared in giving to those less fortunate than themselves. The kindness and empathy expressed by the learners was inspiring, and this reaffirmed my love for teaching, reminding me of why I chose this profession in the first place. Professionally, this experience taught me the importance of the “hidden curriculum”. I would like to instil values of compassion, social responsibility, and kindness in my learners, over and above teaching them what is academically required. This initiative benefitted the school in the sense that it brought learners, teachers, and parents together amidst a very busy and stressful time of the year and could be sustained as a yearly initiative for the grade 3 group.