AS schools resumed for the 2022 academic year, many parents struggled to provide the basics for their children and this is where the Junior Management Core in Nelson Mandela Bay (JMC) stepped in.
They quickly grabbed the opportunity of an initiative offered by a large food retail chain whereby school shoes could be bought for R50, provided that the consumer purchased goods for a stipulated amount.
Sgt Zokwanda Johannes, from the Port of Ngqura in Nelson Mandela Bay, and member of the JMC, successfully collected 20 pairs of shoes through this initiative to be donated to children in dire need in the metro.
The JMC, accompanied by Men for Change, Women’s Network, Community Policing Forums and the station commanders of the SAPS in Bethelsdorp, Chatty and KwaZakhele, recently visited Alfonzo Arries Primary School and Funimfundo Primary School to hand over the shoes to identified children.
The learners at both schools were also addressed by Men for Change, the CPFs and the Women’s Network on issues that are prevalent in schools.
Prior to receiving the pairs of shoes, the learners were educated on topics relating to drugs, gender-based violence, bullying and respect for one another.
The principals from both schools expressed their overwhelming gratitude to the SAPS for their generosity.
The Acting District Commissioner, Brigadier Thandiswa Kupiso, commended the JMC for the altruistic gesture, as well as the station commanders, for their support to the Junior Management Core, which plays a vital role in building and creating future leaders through education.
“It is important to be generous and kind without expecting anything in return,” Kupiso explained.
“Daily, our men and women in blue are on the front-line, interacting with their communities.
“Apart from ensuring the safety of our citizens, the social well-being of the communities is also crucially important.
“An initiative such as this is the epitome of true generosity, when one gives freely without expecting anything in return,” Kupiso said.
– ISSUED BY THE EASTERN CAPE OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL SAPS COMMISSIONER
