MTN SA Foundation partners with government in Back To School Drive with new school shoes for students around SA
MTN will be providing brand new schools to 7 different schools.
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Thousands of school children across South Africa have every reason to be excited about the new academic year with the national handovers of 4 000 pairs of brand new school shoes and backpacks to schools that the MTN SA Foundation has already kitted out with multimedia centres and other school equipment in the past.
The various handovers of the school shoes and backpacks by MTN, in partnership with the Department of Basic Education, is part of the telco’s annual Back to School initiative which takes place at the beginning of each school year. The aim of this drive is to assist in enabling vulnerable school going children to start the new school year with dignity and comfort so that they are able to focus on their studies.
“The Back to School campaign gives us an opportunity to alleviate the plight of impoverished children by providing them with much-needed school amenities that many of us take for granted. MTN is passionate about making a meaningful contribution to the members of society who need it the most. To that end, this annual drive seeks to create a brighter life for SA’s youth by encouraging them to focus on their studies while harnessing the power of connectivity that we have previously assisted them with,” says Kusile Mtunzi-Hairwadzi, General Manager of the MTN SA Foundation.
A total of seven schools have or will be receiving brand new shoes and backpacks.
Last week saw contributions to three schools in the Eastern Cape. Each of these schools were attended by some of Springbok rugby team’s key members, Siya Kolisi, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, in their youth.
This week sees MTN travelling to schools in other provinces.
- Silikamva High School in the Western Cape will receive 700 pairs of school shoes and backpacks on Tuesday, 21 January
- Zodwa Special School in Gauteng will receive 220 pairs of school shoes and backpacks on Monday, 27 January
- Funda uJabule Primary School in Gauteng will be given 400 pairs of school shoes and backpacks on Tuesday, 28 January
- Indaleni School for the Deaf in Kwazulu-Natal will be receiving 250 pairs of school shoes and backpacks on Wednesday, 29 January
- A further 600 pairs of school shoes and backpacks to be donated to six pre-selected schools in the Free State, North West Province, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KZN and Northern Cape (100 per province).
As part of its ongoing enterprise development initiatives, MTN continues to commission a black women-owned business to manufacture the shoes. This is the same manufacturing business supported by Siya Kolisi’s school shoes drive.
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