Back to school is miserable for students without shoes.
The Sello Maake KaNcube Foundation, in partnership with the Ntholeng Foundation, led by cancer survivor Thabang Motsieloa, and the Shai Foundation, led by the late Patrick Shai’s widow, have launched a school shoe donation drive in an effort to restore hope to poor students.
Pearl Maake KaNcube stated that people cannot turn a blind eye to a youngster attending school with ripped or no school shoes and act as if nothing can be done.
“There is nothing more heartbreaking than witnessing young children return to school with ripped shoes, and in the cold, some of them are not even wearing socks. How then do we hope to keep these children in school under these conditions?” asked Maake KaNcube.
“We hope that many people will join us in making this project sustainable and impactful by utilizing the small amount of influence and resources that we have. We owe these children the knowledge that we at least attempted.”
She stated that they have picked schools in and around Soweto to launch the project, but they also intend to expand into Alexandra and Diepsloot. They have yet to confirm with the principals which schools they would donate to.
They intend to distribute 500 pairs of shoes per school and at least 10 schools per month till March 31.
“It’s not so much about the requirements per learner that they must meet in order to qualify, as we intend to donate to the neglected or unknown schools who we know could really need the assistance.
“In order for this program to be beneficial to deserving pupils, we will collaborate with schools and their psychologists to select the students who require and merit the assistance.
“It is a basic need for every youngster to wear appropriate shoes and a school uniform. No child is more deserving of our donations than another, but circumstances vary,” she continued.
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