Over 200 pupils with physical disabilities such as muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, cerebral palsy and amputees attend the Ithembelihle LSen School which is situated in Primrose, Johannesburg.

Voith Turbo South Africa adopted the school two years ago as the company’s corporate social responsibility partner and over the last two years the company has given the school  modern educational materials including 15 SMART Boards and allied technology, personal computers and printers.  In addition to this, Voith also assisted the school in ensuring sound financial management by donating accounting software and providing administrative support and training for the school’s administrative staff.

Recently the pupils celebrated the freshly painted handrails at their school with a movie hosted by Voith.

Penny Burrows, human resources manager at Voith says, “We kicked off with the handrail painting project late last year, with the kind donation of painting equipment from suppliers.  A group of volunteers, consisting of Voith personnel, family and friends, helped to sand and paint a portion of the school’s handrails over several Friday afternoons after work.”

“What a better way to celebrate the near completion of this project with a movie for the learners. All kids love the movies but the school simply cannot afford to take all the learners to the cinema, so we decided that we will bring the movies to the learners.”

With ‘action ‘as the learners’ movie genre of choice, The Karate Kid went down a treat. Along with the movie, Voith also prepared party packs filled with snacks and cold drinks. With big smiles lighting their faces, the learners munched their way through popcorn, chocolates and other ‘treats’.

Penny adds, “It was humbling to see how something as simple as a movie and snacks can bring so much joy to these learners. We may have given something to the learners but we got something in return- an extremely rewarding and memorable experience.”

Graham Russel, Voith MD concludes, “It was truly inspirational to see the sheer joy on the learner’s faces; their bright smiles and exuberance were contagious. The abled can learn so many great life lessons from the disabled“