Four local schools receive shoe donations
“We realized that the lack of school shoes is still a problem in South Africa let alone our communities.”
Hope for Africa (HFA) and Chris Hani Crossing Mall (CHCM) handed brand new school shoes to at least 120 learners at four schools around Kathorus during their back-to-school drive.
The schools that benefited from this back-to-school drive include Ekurhuleni School for the Deaf, Lungisani Primary School, Isipho Sethu Special School and Phumula Primary.
Vanessa Kekana, the marketing manager for CHCM said their initiative strives to help curb bullying in school and boost the self-esteem of learners.
“CHCM believes in corporate social investment (CSI) by giving back to the community. I thought since it is back to school, why not give back by donating school shoes?
“We realized that the lack of school shoes is still a problem in South Africa, let alone our communities. We joined the HFA to donate school shoes to learners from disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Kekana.
She said they hope the initiative to grow because they realise not only these four schools they have chosen are in need.
“Even when we donate to those we have selected, we noticed more children who do not have shoes. Maybe next time it could be different, it could be school uniform because that is something that they need as well,” she added.
“We started with school shoes because that is a fundamental item to have. We do not want children to stay home because they do not have shoes.”
SGB secretary and teacher, Tebogo Motlou, said the reason school uniforms were introduced in South Africa was for all learners to be on the same level.
“A uniform is meant to avoid identifying learners from poor, middle class or well-off families. At times you would find that some of the learner’s shoes are not good and as teachers, we adopt some of them to buy them school shoes every year,” said Motlou.
He said having a CHCM and HFA has helped them a lot because it means they can extend a helping hand even further.
Hope for Africa background information
HFA was established by Jabulane Hope Thabethe on May 18, 2016, to support African children suffering from poverty and aims to restore hope to underprivileged children.
The foundation has provided school shoes to over 12 000 African children since its inception.
For more information visit their website.
