Learners benefit from school shoe drive

Forty learners from the John /Awaseb Primary School in Mondesa, Swakopmund, were gifted brand new school shoes recently.

The donation was handed over by the 4x4 Initiative through its ShoeDrive24 campaign. The shoes were bought by some male members of the Swakopmund community last week and handed over to the school’s principal.

Receiving the donation, the principal of the school, Emse Orus, expressed her gratitude for the shoes, saying that the school has a high number of orphans and vulnerable children, most of whom do not have even the basics, such as school uniforms.

“We have such a massive and critical need for school uniforms and school shoes, and therefore we would not want to do it during assembly, as those who would not benefit would feel left out. We rely on the kindness of donors with a heart for children to meet some of these needs.”

Usi //Hoebeb a member of the 4x4 Initiative, said that when speaking of changing lives and uplifting communities, no one should be left behind.

“These cannot be just empty words. Therefore, deliberate, intentional, and collective actions must be taken to make the world around us a better place. What better place to start than to empower and enable our children to attend school? This small gesture of just providing school shoes to those left behind and living on the fringes of society, we believe, is a first step in providing the boy child with the dignity he deserves.”

//Hoebeb explained that the school shoe drive is a continuation of men and boys’ initiatives to instil good character and actions amongst the male population.

“Through these activities, we aim to bring about the mindset that ‘my brother is not a burden’ and ‘two are better than one’ and that we should look out for each other as much as we look out for the needs of the greater communities in which we live and operate. Dignified boys turn into responsible men.”

According to a member of the Swakopmund Chapter of the 4x4 Initiative, Bernard Khaibeb, the initiative recognizes that there are men in our communities who are unable to provide for the needs of their children.

“With this initiative, we aim to encourage them that there are always possibilities. We have a saying that ‘if one boy is unstable in the street, a female is under threat’. So, if we can restore the dignity of one boy, we can restore the safety of a woman.”

The 4x4 Initiative also handed over 100 pairs of shoes donated by Karibib businessman JP Meyer of the Wilhelmstal Padstal to be distributed in the region in towns and villages such as Omaruru and Otjimbingwe.

The initiative, and in particular, ShoeDrive24, is the brainchild of Sydney Boois and his son Ettienne, who purchased the first five pairs of shoes in Swakopmund on 1 January 2024.

Sydney indicated that thus far, over 300 pairs of brand new school shoes have been collected through 4x4 Initiatives in various towns, including Swakopmund, Usakos, Karibib, Okahandja, Windhoek, Otjiwarongo, Tsumeb, and Ongwediva. The local chapter of the initiative was launched recently and is planning a variety of drives to assist in the social upliftment of the vulnerable communities in Swakopmund and provide assistance where possible.