Athlone High pupils recognised for compassion after classmate’s shooting

A group of Grade 11 pupils from Athlone High School has been honoured by the mayor for their remarkable display of compassion and solidarity after a shooting incident involving another pupil.

Kaylene Hendricks was allegedly shot by a gangster while leaving her home in Athlone.

The attack left her seriously injured, resulting in the loss of her left eye and a wound to her shoulder. On Wednesday, October 29, mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis visited the school armed with a trophy and a cheque to honour pupils as a token of appreciation.

In response to this horrific event, her classmates from Grade 11D rallied together to offer support, collecting money to assist Kaylene and her family during her recovery. Their act of kindness caught the attention of local councillor Rashid Adams, who brought their story to the mayor’s attention.

Moved by their empathy and community spirit, the mayor decided to award the class with the Civic Pride Award, commending them for demonstrating the values of care, compassion, and unity in the face of adversity.

“I must thank them for the way in which they came together for their classmate. These kids in class 11D did an amazing thing when their classmate Kaylene had a terrible injury. She actually lost the use of her left eye," he said, adding: "That spoke to my heart and showed the idea of us caring for one another, pulling together as a community in Cape Town. It demonstrated civic pride,” mayor Hill-Lewis said.

He explained that he started this award to generate and develop civic pride in Cape Town. He described civic pride as "when we take pride in our community, schools, and ultimately in ourselves, contributing to a more positive city and society together."

The award is a local honour that recognises individuals and groups for their contributions to their community, celebrating a sense of pride and a positive impact.

The gesture has been widely praised as an inspiring example of how young people can bring hope and humanity to their communities, even in the midst of violence and hardship.

Kaylene expressed her gratitude to her classmates for their support.

“I was shot six times. As I came out of the house looking for my mother, I turned the corner, and these gangsters came toward me. I was frightened and scared. He shot six shots, but only two hit me - one in the eye and the other in the shoulder,” she said.

She added that she was taken to the hospital and is now focusing on her studies, praising her classmates for their assistance.

Ward councillor Rashid Adams said the pupils deserved to be rewarded for their actions.

“I am very happy because I was involved right from the very start when the notification was sent out by the school. This story turned out to be the best,” he said.

The pupils were also praised for their gesture and advised against involvement in bullying. School principal Vincent Hendricks expressed his pride in having such responsible and caring pupils, noting their maturity.