Zimasa Primary pupils gifted with ‘wheelie school bags’ that turn into desks

Grade 1 pupils at Langa’s Zimasa Primary School were gifted with 140 desks that fold into a rolling school bag, on their principal’s birthday, last month.

The MiDesk was invented by 24-year-old social entrepreneur, Talita Boodhram.

“It started as my science project when I was 16 years old. My dad, Minesh Boodhram, and I were watching the news and we saw a segment on children who didn’t have desks at school. They were sitting underneath a tree and writing on their laps. So we got to talking and made the prototype in our kitchen, out of boxes and spade handles that would flip out, and it won gold at the science fair,” she said.

Boodhram said they donated desks to three schools, in Langa, Philippi and Touwsrivier.

“But you know, as all science projects end up in the garage or the shed when you are done with it, my mom, Farana Boodhram saw the potential in it and she saw the impact it could have on a child’s life. She added the wheelie aspect, the chair, the solar light, and the USB charging portable and patented it. She made it in alignment with six of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and got it out there. Now there are over 2500 MiDesks all over South Africa and Namibia,” said Boodhram.

Zimasa Primary principal, Fezile Mguqulwa, expressed his gratitude for the special timing of the wheelie school bag donations, which happened to coincide with his birthday on August 23.

“I nearly cried... Whenever I stand at the gate and look at these kids, some of them need something, they need hope. Where they come from, they see different things,” he said.

Mr Mguqulwa said starting strong from Grade 1 is crucial for building a better future. He emphasised the need for ongoing support, including involving parents and offering them workshops, especially since many are young themselves.

“The circumstances are difficult but we try to assist the kids where we can. It was a good day for the school, it was a good day for the parents, we are grateful to MiDesk and the team from KZN. We are building a future and it's for the kids and not us,” said Mr Mguqulwa.