Gardenia Primary School was the scene of celebration this week as Tropic Plastic and Packaging handed over six mobile libraries — three to Gardenia Primary and three to Assegai Primary — containing a total of 1,800 books.
The joint handover ceremony brought together the CEO of Tropic Plastic, Mr Ismail Simjee, Principal of Gardenia Primary Mr Leigh Haigh, Principal of Assegai Primary Mr Neil Blankenberg, representatives from the Department of Education KZN, trustees of the Yusuf Karodia Foundation, educators, and enthusiastic learners.
The donation forms part of the Yusuf Karodia Foundation’s Million Books Campaign, an initiative aimed at placing one million books into the hands of previously disadvantaged learners across South Africa, in response to ongoing literacy challenges in the country.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ismail Simjee reaffirmed Tropic Plastics’ commitment to education and community upliftment.
“We believe that when you invest in a child’s education, you invest in the future of the entire community. These books are not just pages and print — they are opportunities for young minds to grow and succeed,” he said.
Gardenia Primary Principal Mr Leigh Haigh expressed heartfelt appreciation for the donation.
“Access to books changes everything. When learners develop a love for reading, their confidence grows and their academic performance improves. This generous contribution will make a lasting impact on our school,” he said.
The mobile libraries, containing 900 books per school, are designed to make reading material easily accessible within classrooms and learning spaces. Officials from the Department of Education KZN indicated that support and guidance will be provided to ensure the resources are effectively integrated into daily learning.
The handover marked not only a celebration of partnership between business and education, but a renewed commitment to building a stronger reading culture among young learners in the community.
