News24 | Cape teacher praised after carrying two pupils through flooded corridors

Grade R teacher from McGregor Primary School, Janay Damon, carries two pupils through flooded corridors.

• A Grade R teacher, Janay Damon, from McGregor Primary School, was praised after carrying two pupils through flooded school corridors during heavy rainfall in the Western Cape.
• Damon’s heartfelt actions, driven by her passion and care for her pupils, were captured in photos and gained attention on social media, sparking admiration online.
• Despite the attention, Damon remains humble, emphasising her dedication to her pupils’ safety and well-being, and her commitment to teaching as a labour of love.

A Grade R teacher from McGregor Primary School has captured hearts after photographs of her carrying two pupils through flooded school corridors went viral on Facebook following heavy rainfall in the Western Cape on Monday afternoon.

The images, taken by a parent, show Janay Damon holding one child in her arms and another on her back as water streamed through the school’s passageways after the downpour and thunderstorms left parts of the premises flooded.

Damon, who has taught at the school for five years, said she had never imagined her actions would spark attention on social media.

She explained that fewer pupils than usual attended class that day because of the weather.

“It rained terribly, and the thunder was really bad. I only had 15 children in class because many parents couldn’t bring their children to school.”

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As the storm intensified, two of her pupils became particularly distressed.

“I told them a story and said the thunder was just looking for attention, and when the lightning strikes, it is just Jesus’ way of taking a photo of us,” Damon quipped.

When school ended, water had pooled heavily outside her classroom.

She said:

Damon said the decision was instinctive.

“What I did really came from my heart. That is who I am. I do what I do with passion, love and a lot of care,” she said, adding that she would have done the same for any pupil, not just a Grade R pupil.

“In that moment, I just felt I had to carry them.”

Damon initially shared the photographs on her own Facebook page, captioning the post that her children’s safety comes first and that she is passionate about her job.

“Other parents saw the post, it spread and was shared further,” she said.

The scale of the reaction only became clear later.

“I didn’t expect the reaction at all. My husband’s colleague asked him if he had told me that I was trending on Facebook, and I couldn’t believe it.”

Despite the praise pouring in, Damon remains humble.

“This is not about me. It is really about keeping our school’s name high,” she said, noting that McGregor Primary serves more than 500 pupils, many from families that rely on seasonal work.

For Damon, teaching has always been driven by care rather than recognition.

“You don’t do this for the salary. You do it for love. I help at school functions, and sometimes I use my own money for my class,” she said.

“It really is about the child sitting in front of me. You never know who they might become one day. I know I planted a small seed and watched it grow. For me, it really is about the school.”

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