EENHANA – Project Never Walk Alone continues to give hope to vulnerable children and keep them in schools.
Over 176 school learners are no longer going to school without shoes after they were blessed with shoes recently.
Learners and parents who came to the donation ceremony were left speechless with joy.
Oshikuni Primary School is one of the remote schools located in the Okongo constituency of the Ohangwena region.
The school faces various challenges such as a lack of classrooms, chairs, desks and learners in need of school uniform.
The founder of the charity organisation, Tim Ekandjo, said Project Never Walk Alone was launched in August 2021 after he saw children walking to school barefoot around 06h00 on a cold winter morning.
Ekandjo stressed that the project team is committed to its vision of giving every barefoot child a pair of shoes because they know how it positively impacts their confidence.
He added that the project will come back to the Ohangwena region with 2000 pairs of shoes.
“It’s important to emphasise that this is not a school shoe project. This is a high-quality leather shoe also called the velskoen which can be worn to school and everywhere else,” he said.
Ekandjo emphasised that this project gives shoes to all vulnerable Namibians who cannot afford a pair, this includes street kids, the homeless etc.
«We have however prioritised school kids because they are most vulnerable and they walk long distances to school, especially in rural Namibia,” he further stressed.
“We started with Hardap, Omaheke, Erongo, Kavango East, Kavango West, Khomas and then Kunene. To date we handed over 7 850 pairs of shoes and the plan this year is to do 10 000 pairs,” he indicated.
The school principal of Oshikuni Primary School, Aarde Mwoongeli thanked the project for giving shoes to the learners.
“These learners have been suffering, especially during the winter times. These shoes will really make a positive impact on the learners,” she said.
Mwoongeli added that this donation will also motivate learners to study hard.
A grade seven learner, Paulus Nghiweteko who received a pair of shoes said he used to walk five kilometres to school without shoes for the past two years.
“I am grateful. I am no longer going to school without shoes,” he said.
Rebecca Valunguma is an unemployed parent of five children who received shoes, and has expressed happiness for her children.
“We appreciate this project for giving our children shoes. My children used to go to school without shoes because I can’t afford them,” she said.
– fhamalwa@nepc.com.na