GMA Extra: 18-year old Kagiso Kgotlang from "Die Fakkel" High School starts his final matric exams this week
In August we met 18-year old Kagiso Kgotlhang. His high school achievements include: academics Top10 - number 3 and athletics provincial championship participation. Now, after helping Kagiso with his sight, and removing his cataract, he will set his sights on his matric final examinations.
GMA EXTRA 24 OCTOBER 2016 (KAGISO FAKKEL/SPAR 17 AUGUST, ETA COLLEGE 22 AUGUST 2016)
The inspirational 18-year old Kagiso Kgotlang from "Die Fakkel" High School starts his final matric exams this week
BACKGROUND: Today we again catch up with 18-year old Kagiso Kgotlhang. The Matric final exams start today and we want to make sure he knows that we are all rooting for him! This is why:
In August we met 18-year old Kagiso Kgotlhang. His high school achievements include: academics Top10 - number 3 and athletics provincial championship participation. Kagiso describes himself as: “A good, respectful and honest child. I hope and pray to God that I will reach my goals and dreams in life - that I will one day also be able to help my brother.” Kagiso’s reality is that he has only his brother. Both their parents died in 2005. Kagiso's aunt took him in and raised him - but she too passed away in March this year. Kagiso now lives with his 26-year old brother, Modise, in a small room. The Spar Ladies Race helped them with monthly food vouchers of R2000 for a year to enable them to buy the essentials. They also get help with food from their church, and a R350/month government grant. Modise works for a small salary and is also studying. On top of this, Kagiso lost the sight in his one eye due to cataracts and his vision in his second eye is also getting worse. The situation left Kagiso with poor half-year marks. The school has managed to get help from the Education Department for Kagiso’s eye operation, which went very well. His second eye will be operated on after the matric final exams. With a little help, Kagiso is back on track and ready for the finals. Last week, at the schools’ awards evening, Kagiso won four trophies and a certificate for sports and academic achievement!
Help so far: Angel 1: Our friends from Spar has helped Kagiso and Modise with groceries for a year: R2000,00 a month of Spar vouchers for 12 months!
Angel 2: The GMA Fund undertook to match Spar’s generous donation, with R24 000 towards Kagiso’s athletic and academic development.
Angel 3: A full bursary to study the eta College 3 year Sport & Recreation Management course worth R180 000,00 on achievement of his National Senior Certificate
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Dear Sir/ Madam
Hereby we would like to request your assistance with regard to the situation that one of our grade 12 learners is facing at present.
Background:
The name of the learner in grade 12 is Kagiso Austin Kgotlhang. He is 18 years old. Both of his parents passed away in 2005. His aunt took him in from 2005 and raised him. She passed away this year in March.
Kagiso is presently staying with his brother, Modise Ndebele. Modise earns R2000,00 per month and the indication from Kagiso is that his brother pays rent, electricity and water with this money. They get support for food from the social workers and from a grant that gives them R350,00 per month. They struggle a lot due to a lack of food and clothing. Some educators assist final vial where possible.
The problem:
Kagiso is in matric and has now encountered a even bigger problem with regard to his eyesight. His left eye has cataracts and he cannot see out of it and his right eye is also losing vision due to increase cataracts in it also. He is presently struggling to read, to write and to study due to this problem. This year he passed term 1; he failed term 2 due to all of his marks that dropped because the problem started at the beginning of the June exams and got worse during the June holidays. The school assisted by taking him to TIBA for assessment and treatment of his eyes and eyesight. They indicated that they scheduled him for treatment/ operation in the next 2-3 weeks. It has come and gone and the indication is that they can most probably only help him next year. By then he would have lost his sight already.
Presently, the learner must write Prelims Exams, starting at the end of August, and also his NSC Final Grade 12 Exams in October.
Request:
Hereby we are asking for any kind of help from any medical doctor/ hospital in assisting the learner with regaining his sight - even by first removing the cataracts from the one eye and later to do the other eye; this will allow him to complete his matric.
Further background of the learner:
He stays in Turffontein. He attended Park Junior and - Senior Primary Schools and presently he is attending Die Fakkel High School. He has always been invited to Honours and Prize-giving Evenings. His best achievements include academics Top10 - number 3 and athletics provincial championship participation. He want to further his studies at University of Doornfontein where he plans to study Sport Management and Development and also wants to join a athletics club in Alberton because he is determined to succeed as a professional athlete.
In his own words:
"I am a good, respectful and honest child. I hope and pray to God that I will reach my goals and dreams in life - that I will one day also be able to help my brother."
Sincerely,
Die Fakkel High School.