34 This page is sponsored by: SERVICE Report Please support the Sunflower Fund which helps find patients with leukaemia and other life-threatenting blood disorders donors for bone marrow stem cell transplants. With this approach in mind we strive to encourage the boys to think about community service as that which we do for the benefit of other people – with no thought of personal gain. We require that each boy do 15 hours during the year. In order to achieve this goal the College sources projects around the country, and especially in the local community, with which the boys can assist. PROJECTS INTHE EASTERN CAPE &WILD COAST The first of our major projects was a fundraising initiative to help schools in the Eastern Cape to establish and continue feeding schemes. The boys raised a total of R5 000 for schools in the Bungululu feeding scheme.Their effor ts will go a long way in suppor ting the students in this area who often come to school having not had a meal in several days. In addition to fundraising, a number of boys have also linked to orphans in the area and sponsored their school uniforms. School uniforms are compulsory in South African education and often the expense of these uniforms cripples poor households. Now, not only do the students comply with regulations, but they can attend school with dignity and pride. BLOOD DONATION Kearsney hosted four blood drives this year. The criteria for donation are the follows: the boys must be 16, weight more than 50kg, be in good health and lead sexually safe lifestyles. The College is responding well to the national shor tage of blood and we constantly encourage all members of the school community to donate. The challenge for next year is to see a greater percentage of the adults on the campus donating! The simple gift of blood is a free one. Although all blood types are precious, it is type ‘O’ blood that is most needed as it is compatible with all other blood types. While we were very for tunate to have had more than two hundred boys donating blood we feel that this could be improved upon next year. The third term saw the highest level of donation and this is remarkable given that the matrics were writing exams and the grade 10 boys were on international exchange. Over 20 boys and staff registered as stem cell donors in response to the death of Luke Norris and it was most gratifying to see this response. THE ENVIRONMENT CROW (the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) is a wildlife hospital that cares for injured and orphaned wild animals and birds in KwaZulu-Natal. There are 12 depots in and around the province but over the years we have forged a very good relationship with theYellowwood Park branch. CROW is considered by many to be one of the leading rehabilitation centres in South Africa. The boys love working at CROW and find the experience informative, fun and encouraging.While cleaning cages and invasive alien vegetation may not be glamorous pursuits, it is the interaction with nature that these jobs provide that the boys find so enjoyable. Perhaps the highlight this year was the preparation of a new site for the relocation of jackal. The enclosure is huge and if the land is not cleared the local municipality has threatened to take it back. The boys have been instrumental in making sure that this project is a success. It is a well-researched fact that contact with animals – even pets – helps boys develop empathy and nur turing abilities essential to forming meaningful relationships. Interaction with animals also stimulates higher levels of self-esteem and social skills. It is, Service “We are called to celebrate our lives together with those less fortunate.”
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