Providing TutuDesks for South African School
The late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was the proud patron of the Tutudesk campaign committed to providing 20 milliion portable desks in South Africa
“I was a barefoot township urchin. I went to school where there were no desks. We sat on benches and when the teacher told us to write, we knelt down on the floor and used the benches we had been sitting on as desks…”
The late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu pulled no punches in summing up of the state of his South African school. In Sub-Saharan Africa 95 million school children do not have desks. He was the proud patron of the Tutudesk Campaign which is committed to providing 20 million portable Tutudesks for children in South Africa.
During the pandemic in June 2021, Helen Westmancoat, President of Knaresborough Rotary Club joined a meeting of Northcliff Rotary Club in Johannesburg via Zoom and learned about the project.
Knaresborough’s International Committee raised just over £2100 in eighteen months and successfully applied for a District Grant. The money was enough to completely equip Sunduza Primary School in March 2024 with 260 Tutudesks.
A mere drop in the ocean, however, since there is still a need for these portable desks in South Africa. The District Governors of the Southern African Rotary Districts of D9210, 9350, 9370 and 9400 have teamed up to support the project with the help of participating Rotary Clubs.
‘Tutudesks are made from a high-grade, child-safe, proprietary polymer that won’t shatter like other plastics if dropped. A Tutudesk weighs under a kilogram and rests comfortably and stably on our childrens’ laps, providing them with an even, steady surface to write on, whether they are sitting on a chair or on the floor.
The Tutudesks are issued to the learner and with the cut-out handle, they can easily be carried home and used for doing homework and projects.
They are locally produced in South Africa and the polymer accepts printing that is durable and wear-resistant. This makes it ideal for imprinting educational and social messaging, as well as corporate branding.’
Source : Northcliff Rotary Club website: https://northcliffrotary.co.za/tutu-desk-campaign/
Helen Westmancoat,
PHF, President, Knaresborough Rotary Club
John Westmancoat, International Acting Chair, Knaresborough Rotary Club
Contact Helen Westmancoat about this page:
back to page above this...
International
back Local Rotary Clubs working across the world to reduce poverty, improve sanitation and health, provide clean water and education
'What We Do' Main Pages:
The Rotary Club of Aireborough owes a great debt to the fine efforts of this committee. Traditionally recruitment begins via personal contact with a member and with meetings now held on both Tuesday lunchtime and Thursday evening there are more options.
more
This Committee ensures meetings run smoothly, arranges events both fund-raising and social, seeks ways to publicise activities and maintains the website. Reports on activities follow below, although they will often feature on the homepage.
more
The Community Leader organises events some yearly including Dictionaries4 Life, Easter Egg Hunt, Jakethon and the Halloween Trail as well as the Social Interactive Quiz. It also supports the Friends of Guiseley Cemetery and the Beer Festival.
more
This committee covers activities relating to schools, Rotary competitions and individuals in this age group seeking support
more
This Committee supports activities financially and through hands-on help, with Aquaboxes for disaster areas, micro-loans for budding entrepreneurs, partnering the Bambisanani project and providing menstrual care kits for pupils.
more
Fundraising for Rotary's own charity, Foundation, includes the weekly wine raffle. Foundation funds the Peace Department at Bradford University and its funding saw the Club host many Foundation supported Ambassadorial Scholars studying in Leeds.
more
This is a new category of service activity supported by global grants beginning on 1 July 2021. The Club has been involved for some years tree planting in Nunroyd Park and Litter Picking around our area.
more
The Thursday group meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month at Horsforth Golf Club between 6.00 and 8.00 p.m. on an informal 'drop-in'basis. New members are always welcome.
more
Tuesday lunchtimes was the only weekly meeting when the Club began in 1953 originally meeting at the then Yeadon Airport. Since then as times have changed so have the venues but we are now firmly ensconced at Horsforth Golf Club
more