Mayor gives shoes to poor learners

05 August 2015

 

Hundreds of needy learners at two primary schools in western Johannesburg were over the moon on Tuesday August 3 when Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau handed them a total of 1 000 pairs of school shoes and 500 sanitary pads.

 

The two schools – Lefhureng Primary, in one of the fastest-growing housing developments in Gauteng; and Durban Deep Primary, near Roodepoort – are located in some of the most economically depressed areas of the city, with many of their learners coming from poor families in nearby informal settlements.

 

In handing over the shoes and sanitary pads – the result of a partnership between the City and popular local radio station Jozi FM – the Mayor said he was confident the gifts would make life easier for the learners and also assist the teachers in the “beautiful work” they do of teaching the young ones. He said the decision to partner with Jozi FM in this initiative was an easy one as they were both committed to making Johannesburg a “caring city”.

 

Mayor Tau was flanked by Member of the Mayoral Committee for Corporate Services Councillor Mally Mokoena, who was standing in for MMC for Housing Councillor Dan Bovu (who had a family bereavement), Region D director Pat Lephunya and Jozi FM Chief Executive Officer Mpho Mhlongo. Lephunya said it was humbling to see smiles on the faces of the learners.

 

He said the city was determined to ensure that those in need were assisted in line with the City’s vision of creating stable and sustainable communities. Mhlongo said the station started collecting shoes from its listeners with a view to distributing them among deserving learners from early this year. He said it also pained him to learn that some girl learners would skip school because they did not have sanitary pads.

 

“Our major aim was to ensure that all girl learners have enough sanitary pads to last them the whole year,” he said.

 

The principals of both schools – Nelly Mbatha of Lefhureng Primary and Sherrol Molete of Durban Deep Primary – said the gifts were going to make a difference in the lives of their learners.

“I feel overwhelmed,” said Molete.

One of the beneficiaries, Ntokozo Sithole, 9, a Grade 4 learner at Lefhureng Primary, said he would ensure he polished his shoes every day.

 

“My mom had promised to buy me a new pair of school shoes later this year. She will be relieved to see me in these ones,” he said.

 

This is not the first time the City distributed school shoes among deserving learners. A few months ago, Mayor Tau donated 1 500 pairs worth more than R100 000 at a Jozi FM interdenominational prayer service in Dlamini, Soweto.