Moriah Makes a difference

August 8, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
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The pupils of Kleinskool Primrary School near the  South African city of Port Elizabeth have experienced an unusually warm, comfortable winter…thanks to the Sydney Moriah College uniforms they  proudly wear to school each day.

Winter uniforms

Gary Samowitz of Jewish Aid Australia became aware that the Eastern Suburbs school was changing its uniform and that organisations existed that collected unwanted books for distribution the needy children of Kenya and South Africa.

He approached Moriah last year tabling the idea of creating a project to collect and sort uniforms no longer needed because of the pending change and to distribute them to schools in Kenya and South Africa.

Preparing the shipment

 

Samowitz visited Moriah and explained to the students the meaning of Tikun Olam. The students in years 6-8 together with the school’s P & F sorted and packed thousands of uniform items as part of the project run by Jewish Aid Australia and the Moriah’s Chesed program.

500 uniform sets have now reached their new owners and beaming African children stand proud as they show off  their new look. CEO of Jewish Aid Australia Gary Samowitz, told J-Wire: “Having a uniform will make a difference for these kids. It gives them a sense of pride and a degree of confidence which can only make their future look brighter.”

Summer uniforms

 

He added: “I was amazed with the way Moriah went about this task…even to the extent of pupils organising fund-raising activities to finance the freighting of the uniforms.

The uniforms were distributed by the Union of Jewish Women in Port Elizabeth.

Elaine Racussen is a member and said: “We thank Moriah College for their generosity in sending us this wonderful parcel of uniforms which we distributed amongst five needy schools.”

But the winter experience is not all that awaits the Kenyans and South Africans. They have received unwanted Moriah summer unforms too…so the smiles on the children’s faces as they parade their new uniforms st home and at school will now be a year-long phenomenon which will change their lives for the better.

 

A letter from one of the schools

A letter of gratitude

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