Children recovering in Gauteng’s public hospitals will soon have access to portable desks designed to help them continue learning from their hospital beds, as 110 MiDesks are rolled out to paediatric wards across the province.
For many children spending weeks or even months in hospital, staying on track with schoolwork becomes almost impossible as treatments, overcrowded wards and limited learning space disrupt their education.
Now, a partnership between MiDesk Global and Belgian supporter ADS Insight hopes to help change that after 110 portable MiDesks were handed over to hospitals across Gauteng, with the official launch taking place at Steve Biko Academic Hospital on Tuesday.
The desks will be distributed to Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital, Sebokeng Hospital and Klerksdorp Hospital.
The initiative was inspired by a moment witnessed by Steve Biko Academic Hospital’s head of Paediatric and Child Health clinical unit, Professor Jeané Cloete, who saw a young girl using a MiDesk to complete homework while waiting for hours at a rural clinic.
That encounter later sparked discussions with MiDesk Global and an assessment of learning conditions inside paediatric wards.
“What we found highlighted a major gap,” said MiDesk Global chief impact officer Talita Boodhram.
“While hospitals are designed for medical care, they are often not equipped to support children academically during extended stays.”
Boodhram said the initiative speaks to a much bigger challenge facing children across South Africa.
“There are over 2.3 million children across South Africa that do not have a desk at school,” she said.
“By them not having a desk, it affects their handwriting, their focus, their concentration, their homework delivery and their overall academic ability.”
She explained that the idea for MiDesk started as a Grade 10 science project in 2016 before growing into a national initiative helping thousands of learners.
“All science projects end up in the garage or in the shed when you're done with it. My mom saw the potential in it and the impact it could have on a child’s life,” Boodhram said.
Today, more than 5,200 children across South Africa use MiDesks, which transform from a wheeled school bag into a desk, chair and solar-powered study station.
Boodhram said many children undergoing long-term treatment struggle to maintain a sense of normality while away from school.
“This campaign addresses a critical intersection of healthcare and educational infrastructure. When children are hospitalised for extended periods, they are not only fighting illness but also fighting falling behind in their education,” she explained.
Cloete said the desks would make a meaningful difference inside wards where children often have little or no proper learning space.
“In many wards, there is very little dedicated space for learning. Teaching often happens on bedside tables, beds, or small makeshift surfaces. MiDesks create a proper workspace where they can sit comfortably and focus on their schoolwork while they recover,” she said.
She added that lengthy hospital stays often place children at risk of falling behind academically.
“Many children are in hospital for long stretches because of their illness or treatment. Missing weeks or months of school has a real impact, so they try to keep up with core subjects while they can.”
Boodhram said the portable desks were specifically designed to work within busy hospital environments.
“Because the MiDesk is wheeled, staff can easily bring the desk directly to the child's bedside, and its foldable design means it can be safely stored out of the way when medical teams need space.”
ADS Insight founder Aida Bakri said the initiative was about giving children dignity, comfort and hope during difficult circumstances.
“We believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, regardless of their circumstances. Something as simple as having a proper workspace can restore a sense of routine, comfort and hope for a child during a difficult time.”
The Star