Ten fortunate children excitedly wore a new school uniform at the beginning of the year thanks to generous support from the Lewis Group who provided learners with bursaries. The children are now proudly attending the iThemba Academy in Hillcrest, an innovative primary school.

The recipients of the bursaries are vulnerable children, nearly half have sadly lost one or both parents due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and others are cared for by one parent or care givers. The children range in ages from 4 to 11 and despite these challenges all demonstrate immense potential. "Our school encourages a love of learning and we are thrilled to have these 10 children in our classrooms who are now benefiting from quality education on this beautiful campus,"said Chris Nel, iThemba Academy Principal.

"We are impressed at how they are embracing this wonderful opportunity and are thriving from nurturing care within our small classes."

The Lewis Group, South Africa's single largest furniture brand, is committed to uplifting the communities in which they operate. This is reflected in their efficient Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme which actively supports education and training.

"Lewis seeks to improve the quality of life of all our stakeholders by positively impacting on their lives. As such we seek to be an integral part of the community and recognised by the communities in which we operate as a dependable, caring and an ethical corporate citizen," explained Sharon Rohm, Group Corporate Social Investment Manager at the Lewis Group.

"Our core CSI strategy is reflected in our motto: 'Supporting communities that support us'. The corner stone of this strategy is to identify opportunities that are in line with our goals and objectives and provide the greatest social impact and value for the society we work and live in. We are delighted to play a role in developing the young lives of the iThemba Academy children for whom we have funded bursaries, and will eagerly follow their progress as they thrive in their inspiring new educational environment. We believe that with the assistance of the successful iThemba model these children will have every opportunity to excel and develop into superior young leaders," she said.

Nadine Wright, Donor Relations Manager at iThemba, is immensely grateful for the support from the Lewis Group.

"The children are so proud of their new school and being part of an environment where each child is noticed and nurtured. Quality education starting from the Foundation Phase is essential in ensuring future leaders in our community and Kwa-Zulu Natal," she concluded.