OUDTSHOORN NEWS - In partnership with Woolworths Region 9, the Tshezi Foundation has raised R11 300 to provide 202 pairs of school shoes to learners at four schools in the greater Oudtshoorn area.
The initiative forms part of Woolworths Region 9's Mandela Day 2026 outreach and was aimed at providing practical support to learners who lack access to basic necessities.
According to Bandile Mbalo, founder of the Tshezi Foundation, a community and educational non-profit organisation established in 2023, some socks supplied by Pika Tech were also provided with each pair of shoes. They also handed out sanitary pads during the outreach.
The donations were allocated to PJ Badenhorst Primary in Dysselsdorp, Bongolethu Primary and Bergsig Primary in Oudtshoorn, and Lategansvlei Primary just outside town. The last shoes were handed over last week.
Woolworths Oudtshoorn manager Lindy Botha and team members Veronique Davids, Magdalene Agulhas, Estelene Leonards and Nomatshawe Mekile took part in the handovers, alongside representatives of the Tshezi Foundation.
The initiative also allowed the organisers to engage directly with the learners, educators and members of the community.
Mbalo said the outreach highlighted the reality that many children still do not have access to basic necessities. "One of the most poignant reflections from the day was that it is a sad thing when a child shows such gratitude for something they should already have, like a pair of school shoes," he said.
Beyond providing practical assistance, the project aimed to restore dignity, confidence and a sense of belonging among the learners who received the donations.
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