At 13, Christené turns concern into action

Thirteen-year-old Christené De Wet gets to work around Laerskool Dawid Brink through her initiative, A Better Place for Children and Families.

Platinum Weekly newspaper | Rustenburg – When 13-year-old Christené De Wet called on her community to help clean up around Laerskool Dawid Brink, she hoped neighbours would join her. When no residents or other children arrived, she rolled up her sleeves alongside her family and got to work anyway.

The Grade 6 learner’s initiative, A Better Place for Children and Families, grew from a simple wish: to see children playing in cleaner, safer surroundings. Ooseinde holds a special place in Christené’s heart. Her late grandfather raised her mother, Christelle Lowers, there, and Christené herself lived in the neighbourhood until two months ago. She still attends school there and has family in the area.

Now living in Hexriver, where she enjoys seeing children of different ages playing outside in the local park, she wants children in Ooseinde to have similar opportunities. “Ooseinde is close to my heart. I would love to see children playing in a clean area,” said Christené. “I want to make a difference here and, eventually, throughout my community.”

On the Wednesday before the clean-up, Christené and her mother decided to turn that wish into action. They made pamphlets, distributed them to businesses around the school and invited residents to lend a hand on Saturday, 26 September 2026, from 06:00.

They also appealed for refuse bags, gloves, drinking water and transport. Some businesses declined to display the pamphlets, and finding support proved difficult.

However, donations from IW Mining Services and Consulting, Ian Lowers and Willem Pelser helped make the clean-up possible. Richardo Francisco also donated bottled water.

Christené was joined by her mother, stepfather, grandmother, two brothers and one of her grandmother’s friends. They cleaned from the school’s main gate around to the next gate, including the area in front of Alpha and across from the car wash and butchery.

Among the rubbish were numerous alcohol bottles and bottle tops, nappies, sanitary waste and broken glass. Particularly disturbing was the discovery of enough discarded syringes and needles to fill two black bags. Laerskool Dawid Brink supported the effort by allowing the group to dispose of the collected rubbish in its skips.

For Christelle, her daughter’s concern had been evident long before the clean-up

“Whenever we drove through Ooseinde, she would ask why people were throwing rubbish into the streets,” said Christelle. “One day, with tears in her eyes, she asked whether we could make a difference as a family. I immediately said yes.”

Although the lack of community turnout hurt, Christené refused to give up. “She was heartbroken that no one else came, but she still wanted to continue,” her mother said. “We believe in her and will support her every step of the way.”

Christené hopes to continue the project, but needs help beyond what her family can provide. She is appealing to residents, businesses and the municipality for gloves, refuse bags, masks, volunteers and transport to remove collected rubbish.

“I cannot do it alone, and I cannot expect my parents to provide everything,” she said. “I hope other children will see that, even though we are young, we can make a difference.”

To offer assistance or donations, contact Christelle Lowers on 072 630 9753, by phone or WhatsApp.