Gumede’s Thusa Fela donates shoes to charities
Lesego Arnold Gumede cleans and repairs shoes to donate to charities and local schools.
With so many people struggling to make ends meet and some failing to buy themselves necessities like clothes in the north of Pretoria, Lesego Arnold Gumede has decided to give back to his community by donating shoes.
The young man from Mabopane, who owns Sneaker Cleanic, decided to use his shop to repair and clean shoes to donate to people in need.
He initiated Thusa Fela (Help only) to change the lives of people in need.
He said some people in his disadvantaged community have never experienced wearing clean new shoes.
“So I wanted to bridge the gap between people who have shoes and want to give them away and people who need the shoes,” he said.
Gumede pleads with the community members to donate their shoes for the greater good instead of getting rid of them.
He partnered with various drop-off points such as Lesuthu pub and grill, DirtyLolli store and Fast and Smart dry cleaners to ensure that people can donate with ease.
The biggest challenge he has faced thus far is that people think that he wants to make money out of the donated shoes.
Gumede, who has a hearing disability, said his goal was to inspire disabled people and remind them that they can be the change the community needs.
“A disability is a superpower. The thing is people, like myself, are hiding their disabilities because they don’t want people to feel sorry for them, but honestly they should let their disability work in their favour,’ he said.
He added that this new initiative is close to his heart and has always wanted to start something.
“I wanted to be pastor as a kid but my ancestors and my God chose this path for me. I’m still doing the Lord’s work, just not in the church,” he said.
The sneaker cleaner is looking for other stakeholders to help him succeed in his dream to help the community.
So far he’s running the initiative at his cost.
“We are searching for sponsorship and money donations. We are losing, but it’s for the greater good of our communities so we are building our community,” he said.
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