YMCA Nelson Mandela Bay last week concluded the second round of the organisation’s school shoe campaign after the schools reopened this term. The campaign, which started mid-March this year, reached out to underprivileged primary schools in the Bay area that were not aided during the first distribution.
This school shoe donation from Bata South Africa ensured that at least 1 000 more learners received school shoes during the cold winter months. In addition, Tavcor Motors Group donated 600 school bags filled with stationery for the new school term.
The YMCA Nelson Mandela Bay CEO, Lerato Lebopo, said she realised the extent of the need for school shoes during her visits to schools earlier this year. “Many learners were wearing broken shoes while others were barefoot. Witnessing the joy and excitement on the children’s faces when they received new shoes was humbling. This reality persuaded us to continue the school shoe campaign,” said Lebopo.
In addition, many people lost their income owing to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, which placed a further burden on parents, she said. “Therefore, we added the stationery which was sponsored by Tavcor.”
During the first quarter of this year, the YMCA successfully delivered 2 100 pairs of school shoes to 21 schools in the Nelson Mandela Bay area thanks to donations from the Metro Atlanta YMCA and the YMCA US Coalition in the United States of America and the local shoe manufacturer, The Little Slipper and the Tavcor Motor Group made the deliveries possible.
“A pair of new school shoes restores dignity. The aim is to help as many children as possible. We invite corporates to partner with us in this initiative. It is the only way we will be able to reach all disadvantaged learners,” said Lebopo.
The schools in the UD area which will benefit from the campaign include: Magqabi Primary School; Alex Jajiya Primary School; Vuba Primary School; Stephen Nkomo Primary School; Tulwana Primary School; Ntlemeza Primary School; Nkuthalo Primary School as well as Project Hope and Vusimuzi Primary School in Addo.
