MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Ms. Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba donated 10-thousand rand to Samantha Olifant from Steynville High School in Hopetown in the Pixley ka Seme District. The donation was done on Tuesday, 08 May 2018 during MEC Mbinqo-Gigaba's visit to the school where she was handing over re-usable sanitary towels. The young Samantha Olifant was selected by the Northern Cape Diamonds Netball under 18 Club to take part in the South African Schools Netball Tournament in Sun City in July this year.
The 15 year old grade 9 learner could not stop expressing her gratitude towards the MEC. She says she was raised by a single mother and could not work out how she was going to raise the money in preparation for the tournament. The donation will be used towards paying for her accommodation, clothes and food for her trip, while the rest will be given to her struggling mother to assist at home.
“I am really happy, I cannot even express my gratitude, this is truly a blessing”, says Samantha Olifant. She went further to say that this is by far the best day of her life. Her peers, educators as well as the principal could not stop cheering the youngster. Learners at Hopetown are pinning their hope on Samantha to achieve so she can put their small and yet warm town on the map.