Kind-hearted pupils, who assisted their peers when sick, shared their lunch and counselled them, were honoured for their service.
Sixty pupils at Cedar High School of the Arts received certificates and gifts from the Duncan Feeding Scheme, co-hosts of the Young Humanitarian Awards, at the Rocklands school on Saturday October 28.
Teacher Shaheeda Duncan, founder and coordinator of the Rocklands feeding scheme, based at her home across from the school, said often the top academic achievers and their naughty pupils were known and easily identified.
“But then I saw we have kind-hearted learners, who do things for their peers, the elderly, work in their communities, share with their classmates, take them homework and make photocopies; and volunteer inside the classroom at school and beyond,” she said.
Last year she initiated the awards and since January she and her colleagues have been watching the pupils.
August 19 is known as World Humanitarian Day (WHD) and during the month school staff gathered to discuss the worthy award recipients.
Last month nine Awareness Programmes in Substance Abuse (APISA) peer counsellors, pupils at the school, received awards and four of them helped plan the awards ceremony.
Ms Duncan said that four pupils who volunteer in her soup kitchen were also recipients.
APISA founder and coordinator Shireen Prins said they were extremely proud of the pupils.
“You can see the difference the programme makes at the schools.
“They were nominated by their teachers for the outstanding work they are doing at school and in their communities,” she said.
The pupils, their parents and guardians were able to share in the ceremony.
Ms Duncan runs the soup kitchen from her home and serves up to 700 pupils at the school every Wednesday.
The feeding scheme started in 2019 when Ms Duncan saw the hunger among her neighbours and at the school so she began making sandwiches and serving them.
Ms Duncan sourced sponsors for the awards and was able to give the pupils a trophy, treats, toiletries and a badge.
Principal Belinda Groeneveldt said she was proud of the pupils, who used creative initiatives to show care and kindness to “our Cedar community and to our school”.
“Last year we had 50 recipients, this year 60 and growing for next year,“ she said.
Ms Groeneveldt thanked their sponsors, Ms Duncan and her feeding scheme, who partnered with the school to honour the pupils.
“Some are silent in their giving to others and this was our way of acknowledging our learners,” she said.
