Janssen Boosts Deaf Children's Educational Development Through DeskBags

Online, February 5, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The donation will prove highly beneficial for the school's learners, as around 89% of the students come from impoverished backgrounds, and are largely unable to acquire basic educational resources. The school currently has over 400 enrolled students aged between three and 25 years of age, and employs 47 teachers.

The durable DeskBags provide a portable desk solution in both the school and home environment. Users of the bag are able to carry books and stationery in the main compartment, while a reinforced flap also provides instant desk support. Desagen Moodley, HR Director of Janssen South Africa, confirmed that the company's association with the Dominican School for Deaf Children and DeskBags is linked to its commitment to educational upliftment.

"Education is a key area of need in South Africa and is one of the company's social investment focus points. Janssen has been involved in many educational initiatives over the years, and we often take a leading role in the improvement and upliftment of existing education initiatives for adults and children in urban and rural areas.

"We are delighted that we are able to maintain this support by providing DeskBags to all the children at the Dominican School for Deaf Children. With company initiatives such as these, the school will be able to take a significant step towards its goal of providing quality education in a safe environment."

Janssen is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical companies, with operations throughout the world, and more than 100 employees in South Africa. Medicines developed by Janssen are used to treat around 1,500 million patients every year.

DeskBags Managing Director, Madelain Roscher says that donations such as the one provided by Janssen are playing a vital role in addressing a very real problem in South Africa.

"Education is essential to both the development of children and the overall prosperity of South Africa. Simultaneously, there is an urgent need to improve the learning environment for school children, with a recent UNESCO report stating that over 4 million scholars in Southern Africa require desks.

"DeskBags is therefore most appreciative of the generous donation by Janssen. Thanks to this support, learners at the Dominican School for Deaf Children will now have access to an educational tool that will considerably aid and improve their scholastic development," concludes Roscher.

For more information on how you can get involved with DeskBags, join their Facebook page on: www.facebook.com/DeskBags.

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Issued by: Madelain Roscher
DeskBags
011 896 1818 / 083 468 6819
[email protected]

Issued on behalf of: Janssen Pharmaceutica (PTY) Ltd.
011 518 7000
Reg. No. 1980/011122/07[/url]