Christmas came early for 40 children from Dr Knak and Carter primary schools when each school received a pair of shoes and socks from mobile network provider Cell C through the Sibusisio Cosmos Zwane Foundation.
This was part of Cell C’s commitment to giving back to communities in a meaningful way. Employees were given a chance to pitch their ideas to the board and choose an organisation of their choice.
Carter Primary School principal, Peter Makgato said he was grateful for the donation to the children.
Read: Pupils get new school shoes
“I am [also] stunned by this gesture because a lot of companies do not generally invest in Alex, so having a company like Cell C come here and give shoes to these children is actually a great thing,” Makgato said.
He saw the donation as a great contribution to the future of the young ones as it would boast their confidence.
“A child with no school shoes cannot really learn much because their confidence levels are low. It is not ideal for a child to come to school without shoes.”
Makgato said a lot of children at his school do not have shoes.
Chairman of the foundation, Cosmos Zwane said, “When approached by one of the employees, he chose to donate school shoes because this was an issue that affected a lot of children in the community.
“As a young boy without school shoes, I know how it feels to be teased by fellow scholars for not having any school shoes. Children can be insensitive and tease you for not having school shoes. That can kill your confidence.”
He said the request to work together with the network provider on this campaign did not come as a surprise as the two organisations have worked together on many past projects.
Mirriam Mnisi, an accounts manager at Cell C, said when she heard about the Employee Volunteer Project she could not let the opportunity pass her by.
Mnisi said, “Every time I drive around the township and see children going to school without proper school shoes, my heart sinks.
“So I took the conscious decision that I would try to make an impact in as many children’s lives as possible. Having worked with SCZ before, I saw it fit that we include the organisation in this great initiative.”
