Vuma empowers 100 Thlolohelo Lower Primary School students to learn with pride
As part of its mission to empower children and give them access to extraordinary opportunities, leading fibre provider, Vuma, donated 100 new school shoes to underprivileged learners at Thlolohelo Lower Primary School, in the community of Moletsane, Soweto, in June. The donation aims to instil pride and confidence in learners who can now walk to school comfortably.
Some children in Soweto are among the 10.1 million learners who walk to school in South Africa. These children endure these walks barefoot, and even some of those who have shoes have long outgrown them or have to wear worn-out ones – making them more vulnerable to bullying at school.
"We realise that our responsibility lies not only in keeping children in school, but also in enabling them to learn with confidence and be treated with dignity so they can access opportunities that uplift them. That’s why we strive to empower South African communities to help create the kind of lives these children dream about,” says Taylor Kwong – Vuma CSI Manager. “Our goal is to make sure these children can continue attending school without a lack of proper footwear becoming a barrier that they must overcome to access an education.”
Additionally, the Youngage Foundation, the 100% Foundation, Hungry Lion, Mutualism Investments, and the Teddy Bear Foundation were also present on the day, providing meals, food parcels for the school's feeding scheme, motivational books, and PPE for the teachers and children.
“A child should never have to attend school without shoes. Through this donation, we hope that even more children can benefit from their right to an education,” concludes Kwong.