Walmer Estate Primary School pupils have received copies of a book that documents the work they did on a collage offering encouragement to children with cancer.
DKMS, an international non-profit organisation fighting blood cancer and blood disorders, presented the children with copies of the book, A Book of Hope – From Children to Children, on Friday March 4.
The collage, dubbed the Mural of Hope, that the Grade 5, 6 and 7 pupils worked on at the end of January was presented to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital on International Children’s Cancer Day on Tuesday, February 11 (“Project to help children’s hospital cancer patients,” Southern Suburbs Tatler, February 17).
To make the work, each pupil was given a sheet of paper that they coloured in and wrote a message on. These were used to make a collage that was scanned and then printed on canvas.
The book includes messages of encouragement from the pupils: “Be strong and pray and I hope you get better.”; “You are never alone, you are strong enough to fight through this. We love you.”; “Strength is never a limit, and you are a fighter.”
Copies of the book will be distributed to young patients at various paediatric hospitals.
DKMS stands for “Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei”, or German Bone Marrow Donor Centre, but it as it has extended its mission, and registry of donors, to include Poland, America, the UK, Chile, India and South Africa.
DKMS Africa spokeswoman Palesa Mokomela said they were impressed by the maturity and empathy that the pupils had shown on the project. “We are really proud that they made this project so much more deeper, and we will carry this message throughout the country, to show our global partners what young South Africans are capable of.”
Walmer Estate Primary School teacher Ulfah Adams said she was very proud of her pupils. “I was really taken aback because they understood what they were doing it for. They gave it their all, and this is a really good initiative.”
Principal Denize Kellerman said the project was a chance for the pupils to be exposed to something beyond academics. “It makes them aware of social issues where they may learn from this and play a part in their community in helping with social issues.”