By Luzamo Sandlana
TCTA’s school shoe donation delivered a practical message of care to learners who attended the career expo at Moruleng Stadium in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, North West, from 19 to 22 May.
The donation formed part of TCTA’s support for the back-to-school programme led by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina. The programme aims to restore dignity, improve school attendance and encourage learners to prioritise their
education.
The initiative began earlier this year when Minister Majodina, TCTA and other water entities visited Aliwal North and Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape. They hand-delivered school shoes to learners at variousschools. During that outreach, TCTA also awarded bursaries to three learners through its Project Naledi Bursary Scheme.
According to Nomvula Mhlambi, who leads Project Naledi, the bursary awards marked an important milestone for the long-running initiative.
“Our aim for Project Naledi is to reach the poorest communities,” she said. “Unfortunately, due to limited resources and access to information, our bursary information rarely reaches these areas. Awarding those three bursaries was certainly a huge milestone for Project Naledi.”
Florence Ndhundhuma, who champions CSI initiatives at TCTA, explained that the school-shoe donation is about restoring learners’ dignity and confidence. She noted that when children have proper school shoes, they are more likely to feel equal to their peers and motivated to attend school and focus on their education.
One of the recipients, Ikanyeng Molefe, welcomed the donation with visible excitement. “I love my new shoes. I can’t wait to go to school tomorrow,” he said. The excitement was clear, with one learner leaving the old pair behind at the stadium.
The gesture also stood out among other exhibitors at the career expo. A Standard Bank representative praised TCTA for the initiative, describing it as one of the most heartwarming interventions she had seen at such an event. “Most of the time when we come to these expos, we usually hand out items such as pens, memory sticks, pamphlets and water bottles to learners. It’s my first time seeing a company hand out school shoes,” she said.
“TCTA has made a mark, and I am definitely stealing this idea and pitching it to my superiors back at the office.”
