In Support of The Tutudesk Campaign

Every now and then PR companies get in touch with amazing causes and ask if I’m willing to help spread awareness via my blog. I loved the heart behind the #Tutudesk Campaign and wanted to tell you a little more about it, so that you can help if you’re interested. I’ll try and keep things as short and punchy as I can.

DID YOU KNOW

In South Africa alone an estimated 3 million learners go to school every day without a classroom desk to work at.

The lack of a desk, a writing surface, affects handwriting, concentration and overall academic performance. In response to this and the greater African need the Tutudesk Campaign has been providing portable school desks to children in Sub Saharan Africa for the last few years.

So far The Tutudesk Campaign has assisted more than 1,4 million learners in 24 African countries.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the Tutudesk campaign’s official patron; and he had this to say: “I was a barefoot township urchin. I went to school where there were no desks. We sat on benches and when the teacher asked us to write, we knelt down on the floor and used the benches we had been sitting on as desks …. I wish Tutudesks had been available in my day”

HOW CAN YOU HELP

Firstly, you need a MySchool Card (SA Only). The campaign will be running between the 13-16th June (16th June is Youth Day here in South Africa). For Youth Day 2015, MySchool is aiming to raise R350 000-00 for 2 500 lap desks. Every time a MySchool card is swiped at a participating retailers R1 will be donated towards the Desmond Tutu Tutudesk Campaign.

The participating retailers are Woolworths, Waltons, Toys R Us, Reggie’s and EngenFoodstopsThe R1 donation will be made over and above the contribution already made towards any cardholder’s selected beneficiary.

By 2020 the Tutudesk Campaign aims to have provided 20 million desks to 20 million children.

If you don’t already have one, you can sign up for a MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card HERE

ABOUT THE DESKS

All Tutudesks are locally produced, supporting local employment. They are made from high-grade material and come with a 6-year guarantee. Each desk weighs less than 1kg and sits on the learner’s lap, providing them with a surface to write on, whether they are sitting on the floor or a chair. Desks have a handle, so they are easy to carry.