PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A touching scene played out at the Phakamisani Primary School in Kwanokuthula, Plettenberg Bay on Friday 18 November when learners from underprivileged communities received school shoes.

Western Cape Parliamentary Speaker Masizole Mnqasela, who is passionate about the youth, visited the school to hand out the shoes as part of a week-long upliftment programme, Shoes of Hope, along the Garden Route in collaboration with Youth4Life SA and Samaritan's Feet SA.

The collaboration has seen the distribution of thousands of pairs of school shoes to children at crèches and primary schools across the Western Cape. In the Garden Route alone, more than 4 000 shoes were distributed to primary school learners last week.

For the speaker, the Shoes of Hope initiative is about more than just providing shoes to those who need them most. 

The aim is to connect with the children and give them hope. This is why those distributing the shoes wash each child's feet before putting on the shoes for them. 

"For any country to succeed, it needs to prioritise education of its population through empowering programmes, thereby making education fashionable," said Mnqasela.

"It is the means of inspiring them to overcome obstacles in the way of their dreams."

Mnqasela said there is not a single child who does not dream of something in the future. "Some of them tell us they want to work as teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers and other professions. One has even stated his desire to work as a farm manager," he said about the children at Phakamisani.

These conversations are part of the reason why they wash the children's feet before giving them a pair of shoes. "This is a crucial moment because it gives you a chance to talk to each child individually."

Helping him with this task was Bitou Mayor Dave Swart, Deputy Mayor Mavis Busakwe and Ward 5 Councillor Samkele Mangxaba. 

The children were all too happy to share their dreams with them and welcomed them with joyous choir songs, even getting Mnqasela, Swart and other councillors to join in.

Other schools that were visited by the speaker include Denneprag and Ruiterbos primary schools, Garden Route Primary in Mossel Bay, Great Brak Primary, Diepkloof Primary at Sinksabrug near George, Touwsranten Primary in Wilderness and Brackenhill Primary in Knysna.

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