A Step Forward – with the Help of New School Shoes

A fashion statement, a necessity or anything in between – love ‘em or hate ‘em – shoes are pretty much part of everyone’s life. Although many of us may take having shoes for granted, for some children in South Africa, shoes are a gift, a blessing.

So, apart from the obvious, why are shoes – and school shoes in particular – so important? In Gauteng alone, 42,5% of students walk to school. The range of distances covered by these students can be anything from 500 metres up to more than 20 km on a daily basis, and with 3.2 million students in Gauteng attending educational institutions, the number of students walking to school may continue to grow. The dangers that these students’ feet face on their journey to school can be painful and, in some cases, deadly. School shoes are therefore crucial for protecting feet.

Because most of us have probably never had to consider the implications of not having the choice to wear shoes simply because we didn’t have any, we may not be aware of the risks associated with always going barefoot. Bare feet can serve as a carrier for certain parasites and, in rural areas in particular, children have a high risk of contracting a variety of diseases, including hookworm.

Another concern is that bare feet are more vulnerable to injury. Some children’s path to school may take them through litter-strewn areas, where rusty old nails and broken glass may have been discarded. Stepping on a rusty old nail, or anything similar for that matter, could lead to a tetanus infection if left untreated. In areas where there is long grass, snakes, spiders and other insects that could bite or sting also pose a threat.

Due to the fact that some parents are already struggling financially to provide the things seen as most essential for education – school fees, supplies and uniforms – school shoes may be quite low on the priority list. Added to that, the initial cost of funding these requirements also tends to be higher in the earlier years of school as it is the first time many of the “essentials” are purchased.

Despite the fact that a child can receive an education – with or without shoes – we believe that shoes play an important role in helping to keep children healthy and moving toward opportunities for a better future. Because of this, we have recently partnered with Heronbridge College to help them to fundraise for a project providing students at Oviston Primary School, in a rural part of the Eastern Cape, with high quality, durable school shoes (for more on this, go here). We are excited to share that the fundraising goal has been reached and because of this, 130 pupils will now have shoes to wear on their daily journey to school.