It's The 30th Reunion Of The Class Of '95 And It's Time To Give Back

It's been 30 years since Gasant Abarder was in matric and he has made moves to create a union of sorts. But it won't be a typical gathering of showing your old schoolmates just how far you've come. This one is for the school that gave us so much and now needs our help, he writes in a new SliceofGasant column.

A few weeks ago, I visited my old high school with an NPO called Kasi Angels. Gerald Nomlala of Khayelitsha was closing in on 70 000 new pairs of school shoes donated as part of a drive to give children in need 1 million pairs in his lifetime.

It was a humbling experience giving new shoes to the learners at Salt River High School. I followed Gerald's ritual - him donning a 27-year-old pair of shoes symbolic of coming down to the level of the learner. He wore knee guards as he got down on the ground to fit and tie the laces of the child receiving the shoes. He whispered a prayer while tying the laces. It was an emotion-filled moment hard to describe with words.

Gerald Nomlala of Kasi Angels

I was so moved by the need at my old school that I tracked down a few of my old matric classmates with an impassioned plea: we needed to help our alma mater. The teachers who formed the backbone of the staff were now the leaders of the school. These mentors, who played such a big role in helping us do alright, were still as dedicated as ever - albeit with the odds stacked much higher.