Good Morning Angels: Helping a top achieving student get back to his winning ways
Kagiso has no parents. They both died in 2005. His 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. They get meals and help from their church, and a R350/month government grant, as Modise works for a very small salary. Kagiso also lost the sight in his one eye due to cataracts and his vision in his second eye is also getting worse.
GOOD MORNING ANGELS 17 AUGUST 2016 (KAGISO FAKKEL/SPAR)
REQUEST FROM: Die Fakkel High
REQUEST FOR: Kagiso Austin Kgotlhang
ANGEL 1: Retha Ingenbleek, Spar North Region Sponsorship Manager
SPONSORING: Spar presents the annual Spar Woman's Race on 3 September 2016 at Supersport Park. They have again chosen a Good Morning Angels request to sponsor from the proceeds of entries to the race. The Spar Ladies Race will sponsor grocery vouchers for Kagiso and his brother, Modise: R2000,00 for the next 12 months - that a total of R24 000,00 worth of groceries!
ANGEL 2: The Good Morning Angels Fund
SPONSORING: The GMA Fund will match Spar’s generous donation with R24 000 towards Kagiso’s athletic and academic development.
BACKGROUND: Any parent would be extremely blessed and proud to have a child like Kagiso Austin 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.” The reality is that Kagiso has no parents. They both died in 2005. His 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. They get meals and help from their church, and a R350/month government grant, as Modise works for a very small salary. 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 has left Kagiso with poor half-year marks. The school has managed to get help from the Education Department for Kagiso’s eye operation - which he will be getting on the 19th of this month! However, he and his brother need help with basic living expenses.
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 grade12 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.