Imagine walking barefoot to school in icy-cold winter weather with no hope of owning a pair of school shoes.
That is the reality of thousands of pupils from poor families in SA who live below the poverty line.
Not having school shoes or a uniform are among the reasons some pupils drop out of school.
But in a joint effort, Vodacom, Eden FM, the Garden Route District Municipality and George Museum have invited the community to Walk a Child to School by donating a pair of shoes.
Children at some of the poorest primary schools along the Garden Route will have shoes and socks donated to them in mid-June by the Walk a Child to School campaign.
The campaign was launched on Monday in York Road, George, by the Garden Route municipality, George Museum and Vodacom.
Garden Route District Municipality mayor Memory Booysen said the municipality would donate 200 pairs of shoes to needy primary school pupils.
“This campaign might be small but it will have a massive impact, especially if you look at where we come from.
“[Many of us] went through similar experiences,” Booysen said.
“But now it is much worse because there is social media and you can be teased and [this] has a psychological effect on pupils.”
Booysen said donations would be made to all seven Garden Route municipalities.
“We are still in the process of identifying the schools which are the poorest of the poorest,” he said.
Eden FM station manager Morné Pieters said the radio station had joined the campaign because winter was around the corner and families had not yet recovered from the devastation caused by Covid-19.
Pieters said they “could not sit and do nothing” while some pupils missed school because they did not have shoes.
Cement company PPC has pledged R5,000 towards the purchase of school shoes.
George Museum acting manager Errol Jafta said the friends of the museum had also been invited to join in and help.
“As the museum, we are passionate about community development.
“This is not only a business but it is our heritage, and we need to make a difference,” he said.
School shoe drop-off points include all municipal offices in the region, Eden FM station, Vodacom shops, as well as the George Museum.
HeraldLIVE
Joint effort to put school shoes on Garden Route pupils' cold feet
Garden Route reporter
Image: NAZIZIPHIWO BUSO
Imagine walking barefoot to school in icy-cold winter weather with no hope of owning a pair of school shoes.
That is the reality of thousands of pupils from poor families in SA who live below the poverty line.
Not having school shoes or a uniform are among the reasons some pupils drop out of school.
But in a joint effort, Vodacom, Eden FM, the Garden Route District Municipality and George Museum have invited the community to Walk a Child to School by donating a pair of shoes.
Children at some of the poorest primary schools along the Garden Route will have shoes and socks donated to them in mid-June by the Walk a Child to School campaign.
The campaign was launched on Monday in York Road, George, by the Garden Route municipality, George Museum and Vodacom.
Garden Route District Municipality mayor Memory Booysen said the municipality would donate 200 pairs of shoes to needy primary school pupils.
“This campaign might be small but it will have a massive impact, especially if you look at where we come from.
“[Many of us] went through similar experiences,” Booysen said.
“But now it is much worse because there is social media and you can be teased and [this] has a psychological effect on pupils.”
Booysen said donations would be made to all seven Garden Route municipalities.
“We are still in the process of identifying the schools which are the poorest of the poorest,” he said.
Eden FM station manager Morné Pieters said the radio station had joined the campaign because winter was around the corner and families had not yet recovered from the devastation caused by Covid-19.
Pieters said they “could not sit and do nothing” while some pupils missed school because they did not have shoes.
Cement company PPC has pledged R5,000 towards the purchase of school shoes.
George Museum acting manager Errol Jafta said the friends of the museum had also been invited to join in and help.
“As the museum, we are passionate about community development.
“This is not only a business but it is our heritage, and we need to make a difference,” he said.
School shoe drop-off points include all municipal offices in the region, Eden FM station, Vodacom shops, as well as the George Museum.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Latest Videos
Most Read
News
News
News
News
News