Thulisa Primary School pupils, in Katlehong, were the proud recipients of a new pair of school shoes each, on Tuesday.
This donation was made possible through Liberty’s staff volunteer programme, which launched last month.
Employees were encouraged to get involved and make a difference to each one of the Thulisa Primary School pupils.
Along with the shoes that were used in the actual making of a recent Liberty advertisement, staff donated a total of 825 pairs of shoes.
Each child received a pair of shoes that matched their size and gender.
Employees who sponsored the shoes also included a hand-written note for each of the students, with words of encouragement for their schooling years ahead.
Ivan Mzimela, group executive: group strategic services, said: “Aside from the health benefits of wearing properly fitted shoes, school shoes are an integral part of building the confidence of any school-going child.
“They give children a sense of dignity and pride, a critical element in fostering early childhood development.
“When children are confident, they have a far more positive self-image, and this lends itself to them having a remarkably better experience at school, by allowing them to focus on learning.
“This is truly a gift that can change a child’s reality.”
In addition to the employees who purchased the school shoes, 40 members of staff were able to share in this exciting moment as they personally assisted with the handover of the shoes to the children.
“We believe that an organisation’s CSI efforts become more meaningful when its employees can roll up their sleeves and see and feel the difference they are making,” Mzimela said.
“It is not just about giving money, it is about interacting with the children in this community and providing them with something tangible that will enable them to focus on learning and help them to achieve better results at school.
“Knowledge has a transformative power in society and we are glad to give these young pupils the opportunity to worry about one less thing as they work towards a bright future.
“At Liberty our CSI focus is our organisational purpose of ‘changing realities’.
“Education forms a central part of the initiatives in which we are involved.
“It is important to us to make sure that our impact is demonstrable and measurable in every area in which we operate.”
