The Stationery Project

The stationery project is an initiative that was created to address the needs, concerns and gaps found in both schools and the community. This social action project was a great opportunity for student teachers and learners to work together to make a change in the lives of others. The aim of this project was to come up with solutions to the issues and needs identified in the schools and community who are in need of hands - on support.

The Effectiveness of this project:

I personally enjoyed taking on the challenge of creating an initiative that had so much meaning. There was a clear need for stationery items which many learners cannot afford due to financial issues. I noticed that many learners also tend to not finish their stationery (there is still half an eraser or leftover ink in pens etc.) From this observation, I thought that this could be put to good use.

When awareness was created about 'The Stationery Project', I saw the involvement and the excitement of the learners grow. This really warmed my heart and showed that this was a project worth doing in the school. When I told the learners about the project and asked them for donations, I could see the eagerness. Learners started bringing stationery throughout the week and this piled up!

The learners were really invested and supported the student teachers throughout this project (by donating stationery, old clothing, attending the pencil case workshop, wanting to learn how to sew etc.) I strongly believe that this project was a huge success, and the stationery was donated to an under-resourced school who was grateful for the contribution. This really shows that small actions can make a huge impact on the lives of others.

How service-learning changed me:

I have always been the type of person to take initiative. I do a lot of community service work in my life. I genuinely feel as though I have learnt a lot from all my past experiences. Being involved in service-learning really opened my eyes to the reality of the world. I have always found a deeper meaning to life and living by engaging in activities that mean a lot to me.

My experiences of working with people who need support made me realise and understand the importance of being involved in work that will make a difference to others. This helped me gain more skills, compassion, and even growth in my personality.

These experiences have made me the person I am today. I am always going to be someone who takes on different tasks and challenges to ensure that I can push myself to help others in need of support.

How service-learning developed me professionally:

As mentioned above, I have been known to take on different tasks and challenges because I find passion and enjoyment in making a difference. I will integrate this into my profession because I want learners to understand the importance of helping others. I will speak to my learners and share my experiences of being actively involved in community work. This is something I know I will keep doing for the rest of my life because I am inspired and passionate to be invested in various projects that aim to help make the world a better place.

I have gained so much from my past experiences. Being involved in service-learning work taught me how to be patient, to communicate effectively, to collaborate with others, how to brainstorm and assess problems while still finding solutions to them, to take initiative and mentor newcomers etc. I will always find a way to make time to continue building on my skills, knowledge and attitude through hard-work, dedication and consideration to support those in need.

Benefits and Sustainability of 'The Stationery Project':

The benefits of this project are linked to the fact that awareness was created and centered around sustainability, waste reduction and taking the environmental footprint into consideration when planning this project. Other considerations included providing learners who cannot afford stationery were given second-hand, sanatised stationery to support them in their schooling and giving learners an opportunity to gain various skills such as leadership and sewing by being involved in this project.