Glendale pupils to receive school shoes

SIXTY-seven of the most needy pupils at Glendale Secondary School in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, will start the 2018 school year with a brand new pair of school shoes.

Valued at a total of R23 450, the shoes were handed to the school recently by the Bata and Shell companies, according to the school’s principal Achmat Chotia, who said: “We pick the beneficiaries and set the criteria based on the most needy pupils, because parents in some instances buy takkies for their children, but we insist that proper school shoes be worn.”

The donation forms part of the Bata South Africa and Toughees Nelson Mandela Day Campaign – #Bata57Steps in which the company called on the public to vote for 67 primary and high schools that were in need of school shoes.

As part of the rollout period, which began at the beginning of this month, the company had dedicated itself to handing over 4 489 pairs of shoes to disadvantaged schools.

The recipients will receive their shoes before the end of November, ready for the new academic year.

Glendale Secondary School had previously received over 300 pairs of school shoes in the past three years for its needy children from the campaign, said Chotia.

“Someone referred our school to them and they contacted us, flew from Durban and spent time to interact and motivate our children with gifts of stationery, garden tools, two vacuum cleaners and lots of trees and plants, which we planted three years ago,” he said.

The trees were still growing, despite the drought, said Chotia, who added that the companies had been impressed with his school, especially when they realised the poverty of its pupils.

“The kids said to me that this is going to be their long walk on free shoes.

‘‘We need more of such caring people in South Africa as the shoe donor companies,” he added, expressing gratitude for the shoes.