1. Find a sponsor for the printing of the booklets – Here we were fortunate to have The Solly’s Group of Companies and MTN and Cell C cellular phone providers assist us.
2. Find the material – Here again we were fortunate to receive some material from SAASTA (South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement).
3. Find someone to design the booklets – Here we were indeed privileged to obtain the services of a local resident mrs Bennie Barker (M.Ed London). This is a lady with a passion for the education and upliftment of people.
4. Find sponsors to distribute extra copies to the local schools. Here we received valuable sponsorship from Zoutpansberg Milling Company, VBS Mutual Bank, and Surat Stationers – (all local businesses).

Here is some more information ….This past year, the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror newspapers have had the pleasure of working together with Mrs Bennie Barker of the Makhado Air Force base on our Science of Life educational life skills booklet.

Bennie came to Makhado in January 2004 when her husband, Brig. Gen. Des Barker took over command of the Air Force Base here. Before, she was in London for three years, where the couple’s posting was that of Military Attaché to the UK. Bennie is a qualified teacher with 22 years experience, and she holds a Masters degree (Med) in education, obtained from the University of London. Bennie’s paths crossed with the newspapers’ when she contacted us to introduce herself, at a time when we negotiated with various role-players in the education circles to produce and publish a life skills booklet aimed at foundation phase learners. Once the major sponsor, Solly’s Discount World, had been confirmed, we approached Bennie to ‘get on board’ with our project. Remarkably, she designed 16 excellent booklets in a very short space of time.

With the aid of our ‘partners in distribution’, Zoutpansberg Milling Co, Surat Trading Store, and VBS Mutual Bank, we were able to provide 28 primary schools in our immediate municipal vicinity with 50 copies of Mirror on a weekly basis for the duration of the project. We did not want to stop here, and asked Bennie if she would be prepared to hold seminars for the teachers of these 28 schools, to help them, and make teaching exciting once more. The following feedback that we received from teachers who attended the seminars says it all: -

Mrs Nkhumeleni Miriam Rambau (principal of Tshisaphungo Primary school; “We have learnt a lot from Bennie, her workshop was very good to us…we beg Mirror to organise another workshop for us, with Bennie” (of course)

Mr Edward Ratshisusu (principal of Timothy Tshibvumo); “…this workshop was not supposed to be conducted once, because this lady knows a lot about teaching, I am proposing that after she has completed all the groups, Mirror can just organise her for us”