The Eastern Cape Department of Education in partnership with Let Us Find Them Organization, Department of Community Safety and South African Police Services (SAPS) held 7 Schools Contest as an Antidrug and Alcohol Abuse Campaign in Cala community complex, Chris Hani West. 

About 100 learners from the 7 schools which are Cala Community Primary, S.L.M Silingela Primary, Cala Senior Secondary School, Bathandwa Ndondo Senior Secondary School, Cala Village Senior Secondary School, Mazibuko Senior Secondary School and D.M. Skhosana High School were selected because they had been identified as hotspot for drug and alcohol users.

The results where third place was Cala Community Primary School which was awarded with a Parrot product heavy duty stapler, second place was Cala Village Senior Secondary School which got an HP printer and First place winner D.M. Skhosana Senior Secondary School walked away with an amount of R5 000.00.

Speaking on behalf of the Department was the ECDoE School Health Safety and Learner Enrichment Official, Mlungiseleli Ntsila who said, "We are here today because we want to completely exterminate the social ills that these schools are experiencing, but at the same time we want to improve and expand the mental capabilities of the learners. I believe working together as social partners we can achieve greater things." 

Adding to the above statement was the Let Us Find Them, General Manager Siphokazi Sondishe who said, "when we partnered with SAPS in March to conduct an awareness in Cala, based on their statistics they have collected these 7 schools were experiencing various social ills. We obviously couldn’t visit all the schools in Cala, but we focused more on the ones that came up on report of the SAPS."

Speaking on behalf of the Learners was DM Sikhosana Senior Secondary School learner Ongeziwe Mdleli (18), she expressed her appreciation to LUFT and Education Department with her eyes full of tears, she said, "I would like to thank all parties that took part on this campaign. This campaign did not only teach us about the dangers of substance intake, but also helped us to discover and develop our talents."

In conclusion, the ‘Cala you’ve got talent' campaign was fostering flexibility of the mindset and improving physical, emotional and mental capabilities of the learners.

PHOTOGRAPHER:  THANDO NGCUME