White River’s Penreach and Penryn go the extra mile to bring hope to remote communities
Over 390 pairs of shoes were given to children in underprivileged communities in celebration of World Barefoot Day.
World Barefoot Day saw Penreach and Penryn in White River come together in a heart-warming initiative to extend their reach to remote areas in South Africa.
Penryn used this year’s World Barefoot Day to gather shoes to distribute to children in underprivileged communities.
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Together, Penryn and Penreach distributed shoes to 392 children in various Penreach Reading Camps in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga between June 6 and 20.
Many of the children at these camps struggle to access educational facilities due to a lack of appropriate footwear.
Those attending the Penreach Reading Camps in the rural northeastern regions of KwaZulu-Natal often need to cross rivers by foot or utilise any available boat to reach their schools.
Dedicated community members have volunteered to host the Penreach Reading Camps in their homes, schools, early childhood development centres or community centres.
The camps act as programmes to engage children in fun activities and reading exercises.
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“Our mission is to make quality education accessible to all children in South Africa, especially those in rural areas who cannot afford or access the necessary resources. Through this initiative, we encourage parents and the broader community to get involved in their children’s education and make learning a fun, interactive experience through play. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to develop a love of reading and learning,” explained Given Mashabane, manager of the Penreach STEAM learning programme (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics).
Penreach supports 138 reading camps, 148 dedicated reading camp volunteers and 3 605 children attending and benefitting from the initiative.
“We are deeply moved by the gratitude shown by these communities. Thank you to each and every person and organisation who works with us, ensuring no child is left behind. A big shout-out to our Penreach partner, the Wild Trust, which assisted with the delivery in KwaZulu-Natal,” Mashabane said.
