‘Shoes that Grow ‘ for Doornkop kids
A former resident who left town back in 1978 to pursue a career in medicine in California, USA, where he spent the last 40 years as a pediatrician, has returned to his birthplace with the aim of giving back by contributing towards the livelihood of hundreds of orphans, needy children and elderly people.
Dr Jonathan Mthombeni and his wife, Verah, invited a group of professional nurses from the St. Bernardine Medical Center, a general medical and surgical hospital in San Bernardino, CA, to come to South Africa and more specifically to Doornkop, to interact and meet the recipients of aid, mostly food, blankets and other necessities.
Dr Mthombeni and Verah have set up the Mapimpana Children’s Project, which has grown to feed and care for the elderly as well. Altogether there are 200 listed recipients but hundreds more are benefiting.
But the main feature of their visit was to hand over the revolutionary “Shoes that Grow” – a patented design of an innovative shoe that adjusts and expands. It was developed with the help of multiple shoe design firms inspired by feedback from those who need them. The shoe comes in three sizes: youth small, youth large, and adult.
“The shoe is made with the highest quality materials – compressed rubber (similar to that of a car tire), anti-bacterial synthetic, and high grade, tactical Velcro. No mechanical parts, no gears to break. Easy to clean (for toe-tally clean feet). Easy to use (and it grows with the toes).”
Dr Mthombeni said that since his retirement in 2010, he’s been frequently between Doornkop and USA as he divides his time between interests overseas and running charity and home-based care projects around Middelburg.
“The project is continuously expanding and the needs of our community are many, whether it’s near a town like Mhluzi or many kilometres away like Doornkop. Our aim is to improve the lives and living conditions of the community no matter where they are, so that they may be given opportunities to go to school and study so they can become successful and self-sufficient,” said Dr Mthombeni.
The American nurses said that it was their third trip to South Africa since 2010, and they have fallen in love with the people of Doornkop and have an unrelenting desire to provide some basic needs to those who need it the most.
