Information Resources Officer Boniswa Nyati presents the donated books to the Johannesburg Hospital School
May 25, 2009 – The Johannesburg Hospital School received a welcome donation of books from the Nelson Mandela Foundation on Friday, May 22, 2009.
The school, which is situated in the children’s ward at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (previously Johannesburg General), caters to children who need constant medical care and therefore cannot attend a regular school.
Foundation Information Resources Officer Boniswa Nyati presented the books to Principal Ronel van Biljon and media teacher Natalia Anderson, as well as roughly 50 learners who pored over the books and entertained their guests by singing the national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.
Nyati asked the children if they knew who Mr Mandela was, and one brave girl answered: “He was an activist.” “Do you love Mr Mandela?” asked Nyati. “Yes!” came the resounding answer.
Children and staff show off their new books, accompanied by the Foundation’s Boniswa Nyati
The donation included 10 of the collated volumes of Nelson Mandela: The Authorised Comic Book, which tells the life story of Mr Mandela in a serial, graphic form – making it more accessible to a younger audience.
“Most of the kids here are long-term patients with renal failure or from the oncology ward. Many live in the nearby Choc House [Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa]. This donation will give them access to resources they don’t have at home, and it is very important for the media teachers, who are trying to encourage the kids to read more and watch less TV,” said Van Biljon.
The comic book’s co-ordinator, Nic Buchanan, and graphic artist, Richie Orphan, were also on hand to show the learners how some of the comics were drawn.