Soles for souls

Nothing quite beats putting on that new pair of shoes at the beginning of the year but for some people just having a pair is good enough.
Thanks to the North Coast Courier Orphan Fund and Seeff Dolphin Coast, 262 under-privileged children in Nkobongo, Stanger, Etete, Usizo and Lindilani received a new pair of school shoes this month.
The Orphan Fund’s annual Soles4Souls project was inspired by a young boy in England who was horrified at the thought that some children in Africa might have to walk to school barefoot. He set about, through cake sales and second hand toy sales, raising money for shoes and sending it to the Orphan Fund for this express purpose. Thus the Soles4Souls was started in 2009.
For the five years since, the Orphan Fund has raised money and sought sponsorship for school shoes for those who need them the most. Seeff has been on board for the last two years.
Rose Stephenson, secretary of the Orphan Fund highlighted the importance of giving the most needy children new shoes.
“Shoes are the most expensive clothing item. It is no good giving cheap shoes as a lot of the children walk to school every day. It might even be their only pair, which means they will get worn out faster,” she said.
“For some of the children it will be their first pair of new shoes,” she added.
The recipients of the shoes are chosen by organisers of the programs supported by the Orphan Fund and shoes are given to children who need it most.
Overall, 262 Toughees shoes were delivered to children in the area. According to Mark Johnson, Seeff’s chairman, the company wanted to get more involved in the local communities.
“The Orphan Fund is well established and well known and we know where they are working,” he said.
Johnson believes it is more than just putting a pair of shoes on peoples’ feet.
“Having worked in townships over the years, I have seen that a pair of shoes is an affluent thing. Giving these kids shoes gives them a sense of pride which instills hope,” he said.
At Stanger South Secondary School principal Promise Dube said the donation had saved lives.
“When it is wet and rainy some children are not able to come to school because their shoes are broken. You do not know what you have done for these children.”
As a testament to their passion for social upliftment, the whole Seeff team went out to the various areas to help make the donations.
“Seeing that little boy strike his pose, then not being able to take off his shoes once he had put them on spoke volumes. If that is not a picture of that sense of pride, then nothing is,” said Johnson.
The Seeff team is hoping to put in excess of R50000 into social upliftment projects this year.
“This is something that will continue to grow and we want to give more each year,” he added.