- Tlou Joseph Ledwaba, an entrepreneur and pastor in Mfuleni, Cape Town started a school shoe drive in December.
- Through his campaign, To Walk a Child, he hopes to reach his target of 100 pairs of school shoes for needy children.
- He is appealing to individuals and businesses to contribute before the start of the school year.
Cape Town entrepreneur and pastor Tlou Joseph Ledwaba is always looking for ways to empower members of his community.
In December, he launched To Walk a Child, a campaign geared at collecting school shoes for needy children in Mfuleni.
"We are asking the community, all stakeholders, businesses and individuals to donate school shoes for us to hand out to kids that are in need," he told News24.
Ledwaba said he was inspired to launch the initiative after encountering a child in school uniform and worn-out shoes.
"The shoes they were wearing – I was not happy with [it]. It really hurt my heart that someone out there does not have shoes."
Call to action
Ledwaba then scrolled through his contacts list and reached out to his business associates.
To raise more awareness about his initiative, he made a call to action via social media.
He said:
For Grade 10 pupil Yonela Vuthuza, Ledwaba's effort means she gets to start the new school year on the right foot.
She said getting a new pair of shoes didn't seem like a possibility.
"It's a difficult time for our parents to buy us shoes... there's no money so I'm very happy to have a new pair," she said.
Ledwaba is hoping to meet his target of 100 pairs of donated school shoes.
"Most of us, when we enter our professional line...we forget where we come from. We think the problems are all gone suddenly just because we are successful.
"The truth of the matter is that there are millions of kids out there who are looking for help," he said.