Arya Samaj Gauteng Serves 900 Learners at Newclare Primary as Pupils Return from Winter Break

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Mandela Day commemoration at Newclare Primary

Johannesburg, 21 July 2026 — Because Mandela Day fell over a weekend and the school holidays this year, Arya Samaj Gauteng waited until the learners of Newclare Primary School came back from their winter break to mark it. On Tuesday morning, volunteers from Arya Samaj Gauteng arrived at Newclare Primary and served cups of vegetable soup, bread, apples, cupcakes and pencils to roughly 900 children.

Newclare Primary carries a particular history. It opened in 1908 with nine pupils, founded by the Founders’ Memorial Congregational Church, and expanded in 1913. It was the first school in the Transvaal established for coloured children, and was taken over by government in 1917. By 1960 it was the biggest school in South Africa, with 64 teachers running a platoon system of two sessions a day under principal C.J. Botha. The school is recognised with a Johannesburg City Heritage blue plaque. Today it is a dual-medium school running from Grade R through Grade 7, and it remains full.

“We had a very exciting day at Newclare Primary,” said Principal Mrs Helen Petersen. “We have been working with Arya Samaj and part of them coming on board is to start with our feeding scheme. This morning they gave the learners healthy soup — vegetable soup, freshly homemade — and a slice of bread. It’s winter, and some of our children go to bed hungry. Today they actually felt the warmth in their body from the soup.”

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That warmth is not incidental. Newclare sits in a community carrying heavy pressure. “There’s a lot of unemployment in our community,” Mrs Petersen said. “We are faced with drugs, alcoholism, gangsterism, abuse. These are the situations we are currently facing. And these children come to Newclare Primary for love and attention. Some of them don’t have a warm jersey and some don’t have enough food to eat.”

A hungry child cannot learn. Concentration drops, absenteeism rises, and by mid-morning a learner who left home without breakfast has already lost most of the school day. For many of the children at Newclare, the meal served at school is the only reliable one they will eat.

 Newclare Primary School’s needs go beyond food. Yolande Peters, Secretary of the School Governing Body, said the feeding scheme currently operates in a space squeezed between classrooms, with children eating outdoors on concrete or on two benches.

“We have a plea out to the community to say, please assist us,” she said. “We have a list of building material. We want to give the children a proper seating space on the other end of the school, and move the feeding scheme away from between the classes. We had to make do with what we have. Our plea is to give our children the dignity of not sitting in the sun to eat, and to have a proper space.”

Ms Peters noted that the older section of the building, still fully operational and dating back over a century, is constructed with asbestos. The newer face-brick wing, housing Grades 1 to 7, was officially opened on 27 September 1997 by then-principal D.B. Eastwood and Gauteng MEC for Education Mary Metcalf.

Arya Samaj Gauteng is a registered NPO whose work is grounded in the teachings of the Vedas and the reform movement started by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in 1875. It operates under the motto Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam — “make the world noble” — and its existing programmes already include feeding schemes, clothing drives, school support projects and environmental work across the province. The Newclare visit was an extension of that ongoing outreach rather than a once-off.

“We are here at Newclare Primary School feeding the kids soup, bread, a muffin, a fruit and some pencils,” said Arya Samaj Gauteng Vice President, Mrs Vibha Sharma. “I want people to know about this school, because this school needs a lot of things. If everyone in the community comes up and does their bit — even ten rand — it will make a huge difference. We are an NPO based on Vedic principles, and we chose Newclare because it is in need of a lot of help. My request to everybody is please do your part. A small amount for you is a huge difference for the school.”

Mrs Petersen closed by thanking the organisation and urging others to follow. “I’d like to say thank you to our NPO partner, Arya Samaj Gauteng, for helping us and making this moment special for Newclare Primary and our learners. We’re calling on everyone else to come on board and help our community.”

Both the school and the organisation were clear that a single morning of soup does not solve the problem. Newclare Primary is asking for sustained partnership: building material, jerseys, food, and hands willing to return.

Businesses, congregations, community organisations and individuals who want to support Newclare Primary School or Arya Samaj Gauteng’s outreach work are invited to make contact.

NPO Contact:
Arya Samaj Gauteng

Email: info@aryasamajgp.org.za

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