The Gurudwara Sahib of Johannesburg has donated a mini-bus to the Look Forward Creativity Centre to help indigent local children travel safely to and from school. Trustee Harbinder Singh Sethi said the vehicle supports access to education and opportunity. South African and African continental leaders praised the initiative at the handover ceremony in Johannesburg.
International
-Sathish Raman
Leaders in South Africa and other African countries praised the Gurudwara Sahib of Johannesburg GSJ after its members donated a mini-bus. The vehicle is meant to carry indigent local children safely to and from school. The handover took place at the Gurudwara on Sunday, with community representatives and guests attending the event.
The Gurudwara Sahib of Johannesburg has donated a mini-bus to the Look Forward Creativity Centre to help indigent local children travel safely to and from school. Trustee Harbinder Singh Sethi said the vehicle supports access to education and opportunity. South African and African continental leaders praised the initiative at the handover ceremony in Johannesburg.
The mini-bus was given to the Look Forward Creativity Centre, which has operated the school for almost two decades. The centre supports children who earlier lived on the streets. Organisers said the transport will help pupils reach classes regularly. It also aims to reduce risks faced by children who travel without secure and reliable options.
Gurudwara Sahib of Johannesburg GSJ mini-bus donation for school children
GSJ trustee Harbinder Singh Sethi described the impact of the donation during the ceremony. “A vehicle may seem like a small donation, but for the children it represents access to opportunity and independence,\” Sethi said. Sethi stated that GSJ management and the sangat bought the mini-bus specifically as a gift for the centre.
Sethi also referred to GSJ’s long association with the programme. \”It has been our privilege to support the activities at the Centre for the past 15 years now,\” Sethi added. Sethi said the children were the main beneficiaries of the gift. \”The true owners of this bus are these beautiful children.\”
Sethi closed with a message of safety and well-being for the students. \”May Wahe Guruji protect every child who rides in this bus and bless it to carry them to brighter and safe futures,\” Sethi said. The statement linked the donation with a wider aim of helping children travel securely while staying connected to education.
African leaders praise Gurudwara Sahib of Johannesburg GSJ support
Several traditional leaders and Kings from different parts of Africa attended the handover. The leaders were in Johannesburg for talks about their nations’ future. Zolani Mkiva, Secretary General of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, said Sethi’s team showed values that improved people’s lives.
\”We coexist as a diverse community of South Africans and every time I come here, I am so humbled not just with the gestures that you do but with the tangible contributions that you are making into the development of our country,\” Mkiva said. \”This is an investment in the future of our country- the education of the children who are the future of our country,\” Mkiva said.
Look Forward Creativity Centre thanks Gurudwara Sahib of Johannesburg GSJ donors
Ketia Bikouta, board secretary for the Look Forward Creativity Centre, presented a special citation to GSJ chairperson Pamela Kaur Sethi. Bikouta credited steady support from the Sikh community over many years. \”The Sikh community has been a longtime donor, one of our most consistent donors that give every single month. This is something that we cannot say thank you enough for,\” Bikouta said.
The handover highlighted a partnership that has linked GSJ and the centre for years. Organisers said the mini-bus will support regular attendance and safer travel for schoolchildren. Guests said the donation matched wider efforts to back education. The event ended with thanks to the donors and recognition for community-led support.
With inputs from PTI
