These shoes are good for walking

I was absolutely shocked when I heard about a woman from Secunda who paid R10 000 for a pair of shoes and paid twice that amount for a handbag. No, this is not a typing error -R10 000!

Many of my colleagues and I cry almost daily and cannot sleep at night, because of the needy and poor in our communities.

We recently helped a mother and her little boy (5) from eMbalenhle.

She has been struggling for a few years to get a disability grand. She suffers from diabetes and cannot work.

They had nothing to eat, the boy did not have one pair of socks or shoes and they did not have paraffin.

After visiting Home Affairs, I brought them to the office for a cup of coffee.

My colleagues collected money in the office in no time and bought the boy clothes, as well as food for the house.

He made us laugh through the tears when he did not want to take off a track suit that was too small for him.

We wanted to get him a larger one, but he was scared we were going to take back all his new clothes!

The South African Women Federation donated blankets and clothes for both mother and child.

This is unfortunately just one case.

There are many, many others and I have the greatest admiration for the social workers and others who work with the poor.

Madam, most of us can only afford shoes of R150, but fortunately these shoes are good enough for work and church, as well as walking the dirt roads of eMbalenhle.