The International Day for Families was observed on Monday 15 May 2017 under the theme “Families education and well-being”  The MEC for Social Development Development Gift van Staden Staden celebrated the day on Friday 19 May 2017 with school Children from Greenpoint Primary School. MEC and staff from SASSA Local office distributed 99 school uniforms as part of Social Relief of Distress to needy qualifying school children.

How the children were identified there are regulations stipulated by SASSA may provide non-financial assisatance or relief to eligible applicants for social relief of distress and Greenpoint School was not chosen as a beneficiary for school uniforms but instead, it is the individual learners whose parents have been identified as poor and thus not having insufficient means.

The distribution of the school uniform served as an integral part of this year's focus as International Day for Families seem to focus on the role of family-orientated policies in promoting education and overall well-being of their members.

In particular the day is to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth.

MEC Van Staden in his keynote addressing the children and their parents reminded them that government is there to listen, serve and assist them, as education is an apex programme of government.” Mr Nelson Mandela said one the instruments that we can use to achieve a better life is Education”

He further reminded the parents that in the older days one family member was pushed to achieve so that in turn support the whole family but nowadays government has changed that as it wants everybody in a house to achieve their full potential.
 
 
By Moss Tyuthuza