NGO One-million School Shoes Campaign, brought smiles to 500 disadvantaged learners from Ngqushwa in the Eastern Cape. They were each gifted with a pair of school shoes. South African learners, who don’t have school shoes are prioritised.
The Chinese Embassy also donated shoes to the campaign.
The campaign was alerted of the plight of learners at Peddie, one of the rural towns of the Ngqushwa Municipality, by the local government. The area is hard hit by poverty and unemployment.
The donation of shoes has brought hope to the learners.
“For the Ambassador of China to come here in Ngqushwa to provide us with these shoes its more about giving this child a chance to give this child an opportunity to be the same level with other kids giving this kids something to strive for, says one beneficiary.
“It’s really hard sometimes we don’t really go to school like last week it was raining hard and I didn’t go to go I get to school like very wet and my feet were when i went to school the following day so it will really help . I will be warm it’s very nice I feel grateful,” adds another one.
A board member of the One Million School Shoes campaign, Thabiso Chauke, says they have crossed the 100 000 pairs of shoes mark.
“By far we have donated 150 000 shoes in various schools each and every province the province that we started with was Gauteng and then we went on to other schools and provinces and we call on South Africans to companies , individuals to come and assist us in out life time we reach this one million school shoes goal”.
The Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, says their support of the project is based on the value they attach to education.
“Five hundred is just the beginning. I would like to give them more shoes from Chinese community so that we can donate more shoes to our children so that we ensure that our children beautiful shoes so that they are happy to go school everyday where they are equipped with new knowledge and technology so they have bright future and build this country more beautiful and brighter. ”
The embassy has also committed to give two Grade 12 learners an opportunity to study in China next year.
