Self-employed Simon Mofulatsi (60) recently donated 200 pairs of school shoes to disadvantaged Buffelsvlei Combined Primary School in Promosa. This wasn’t the first time Simon had given anything, however. Since last year, he has contributed to some four schools in need.
It happened to be his 60th birthday when he noticed that a few learners did not have school shoes. He worked with Aganang FM to help donate to those in need and that’s how the school shoe project started.
“For my 60th, I decided to buy a few pairs of shoes and gave them to Aganang FM to help me select schools and distribute them to those who really needed them. But, instead, they offered to join in and we got more shoes and started a campaign,” he said.
Even before then, Simon has always been known as a giver in the community.
“Whenever I came across families that struggled, I would chip in where I could and buy them groceries,” he said.
Simon knows exactly how it feels not to have anything.
“I wholeheartedly enjoy giving because my background was extremely tough; my siblings and I were raised in poverty,” he said.
“As the eldest of eight children, I had to find means for us to survive. It really hurts when I see others going through similar situations,” he added.
He currently has 100 more pairs he wants to give away but intends to buy another 100 before sending them off.
Simon said it was important to instil the spirit of giving in his children, so giving would be second nature when they got older. “My father always taught my siblings and me to appreciate what we have and give to those who are less fortunate,” his son Lebogang ‘Lebza’ shared.