Shoes donated to schoolchildren at Mokone Primary School in Langa

Staff and learners at Mokone Primary School in Langa were ecstatic on receiving school shoes donated by the office of Ward 51 councillor Lwazi Phakade on Wednesday 24 January. At least 25 learners benefited from the donation.

Staff and learners at Mokone Primary School in Langa were ecstatic on receiving school shoes donated by the office of Ward 51 councillor Lwazi Phakade on Wednesday 24 January. At least 25 learners benefited from the donation.

Phakade described the back-to-school campaign as part of a general desire to give back to the community.

“Today we are donating about 75 pairs of school shoes to three primary schools in the vicinity,” he told City Vision.

“Each primary school will receive 25 pairs of school shoes. As councillor, I went out and asked for donations from the community and local business people to help the learners.”

Phakade emphasised that the money used for buying the school shoes did not come from the ward-allocation budget. He said other primary schools that benefited from the programme are Thembani and Moshesh. He said this will be an annual campaign.

For it to be successful, Phakade said, his office worked closely with the school teachers.

“The learners were identified by the teachers because they are ones working with them every day. They identified them and gave us a list. This is the second time we are running this programme,” he says.

Teacher Dudu Vilakazi reflected Phakade’s sentiments, saying the most underprivileged learners from each grade were identified.

“We are so happy,” she said. “It means a lot to us and the learners as well. The majority of them didn’t have shoes.

“Some of them were wearing broken shoes, others old sneakers. We even visited their families to see their backgrounds.”

Vilakazi urged other business people to come on board.

Parent Ntombozuko Jayiya expressed gratitude to the councillor’s office for the great work that they do.

She believes the new shoes will boost the learners’ confidence.

“I can’t afford to buy everything at once because I’m unemployed. These shoes mean a lot to me. My son will be like any other learner now.”