Teacher Gifted over R408k to Buy Pianos for Students After Plea Online
- Bethany Pickens was forced to teach her music class virtually after Covid-19 hit
- She however did not have any pianos for her students who were learning from home
- The teacher filmed a plight asking well-wishers to help her purchase the keyboards and posted it online
- Within hours, an anonymous donor sent her enough money to provide all the 153 students with instruments
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Covid-19 has brought its fair share of curses and blessings in disguise. Unlike the pre-pandemic times, students and learners from all over the world have adapted to studying via zoom and other virtual means.
Bethany Pickens, a music teacher from the US used her online platform to develop her music class and make her students’ lives easier.
The Kenwood High School teacher rallied support from people across her country and managed to raise over R408 000, which was used to purchase keyboards for her learners.
Source: UGC
The teacher now has a fully equipped class which entails learners who all have their own pianos.
“It was like being in a basketball team and having to run all the drills without ever getting to hold a basketball,” Bethany excitedly told NBC news.
The teacher posted her plight on Facebook and Instagram through a short clip that had her pleading with well-wishers to support her talented students.
In the clip, she had a few students demonstrate their prowess and piano playing skills.
According to Bethany, one donor made a big difference. The anonymous good Samaritan wrote a check of more than R408 000 within a few hours.
Now, 153 kids in her class have their own keyboards.
In an almost similar instance, Briefly.co.za reported on another inspiring educator. Jason Smith is a different kind of teacher who values dialogue over punishment.
A student who refused to take off his hat while in class was sent to the principal's office.
Jason sat the young boy down and had a conversation with him, and proceeded to give him a proper haircut.
The boy agreed to keep his hat off and even apologised for his mistake.
Meanwhile, Kelly Slingers is a local female pilot turned humanitarian who is looking to make a big difference in the lives of underprivileged young ladies who have hopes of one day also taking to the sky in their own aircraft.
Lesego Mahlodi is one of the young women who Slinger has taken under her wing. While she is currently hunting for funding to pursue her studies, Slingers is certain that will secure the funding soon.
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Source: Briefly News
Maryn Blignaut (Human-Interest HOD) Maryn Blignaut is the Human Interest manager and feature writer. She holds a BA degree in Communication Science, which she obtained from the University of South Africa in 2016. She joined the Briefly - South African News team shortly after graduating and has over six years of experience in the journalism field. Maryn passed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (Google News Initiative), as well as a set of trainings for journalists by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at: maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
