NOORDWESTER – LICHTENBURG - NWK celebrated Youth Month by handing out more than 550 pairs of brand-new school shoes as part of its annual School Shoe Project.
This brings the number of learners who have benefitted from this project since its inception in 2012/2013, to more than 6 500.
The value of this year’s donation is about R243 000. It includes the school shoes, shoe polish and brushes, beanies, socks as well as string bags for every learner.
This year, eight skipping ropes, netball balls as well as soccer balls, were donated to each school.
Naletsana and Tshepang Primary Schools were this year’s beneficiaries. A total of 291 parcels were handed out at Naletsana and 263 at Tshepang.
The schools that receive donations, are identified in collaboration with North West’s Department of Education, as well as Samuel Nkone – former area manager of Ditsobotla at the department.
Johan Bezuidenhout, group manager of Corporate Marketing and Communication at NWK, attended his last School Shoe Project, as he will be retiring later this year.
He said that the project has cultivated humbleness and gratitude within him over the years. “It is a gift to be able to give. I am very grateful towards NWK for the opportunity it has created to make a difference. Children are the biggest gift from God and you as teachers and parents have a big task to care for them.”
Benedict Modise, director of Economic Development at NWK, said on Friday that the company supports children on primary and secondary school level with its School Shoe Project, as well as the sponsorship of laptops for top performing matriculants of the Ditsobotla subdistrict.
“We have many vacancies within NWK and work closely with universities to recruit the right labour,” he said and asked parents to motivate their children to attend school every day and obtain matric. “Education is the key to everything!”
Nosipho Khunyedi, principal of Tshepang Primary School, thanked NWK for the donation. “We are grateful that NWK remembered and considered the small community of Sheila in Itsoseng for this event. Many of the children’s parents are unemployed and they attend school without uniforms and shoes. Here are many social ills and NWK’s donation makes a huge difference.”
Itumeleng Kgabi, principal of Naletsana Primary School, said that NWK is one of the biggest companies in the province and that the school is therefore honoured to be chosen as a beneficiary of the project. “We appreciate you”.
