Organisation distributes 20 000 shoes to laaities The Samaritans Feet South Africa organisation achieved their goal of collecting 20 000 pairs of shoes for needy children for the year.
Skoene were handed out to laaities at the Bethel Tabernacle Full Gospel Church in Scottsville on Thursday, where more than 100 kids had their feet washed and shod by Law Enforcement and traffic officers and community members.
Each of the kids also received a lekker meal from Hungry Lion.
The ceremony was organised by the NoStop and Youth Clouds of Heaven non-profit organisations.
Hermien Louw, the operational manager of Samaritans Feet South Africa says: “We are giving shoes to kids to get their first step in life as one of hope.
“We asked them what their dreams are and then we planted a seed of hope by giving them a pair of new shoes.
“We wanted them to know that their dreams are not ending here, but for them to make the right choices in life from a young age.”
She says: “It feels good that 20,000 kids got served by us in 2021.”
Charlene Miles, the director and founder of NoStop, says their focus was on kids aged 6 to 11 years old, “to not just give them a pair of shoes but to connect with them physically and emotionally by washing their feet, and to make an impact in their lives.”
“For some kids it was a dream come true to own new shoes. A big thank you to the Traffic Department and Law Enforcement.
“We were using them to show kids they are not just there to arrest people but to make a change in others’ lives also.”