A charity initiative recently donated more than 800 pairs of shoes to a local night shelter and safe house.
This is according to Cat Loeijs, who is part of the management committee of Stone Dragon, the Cape Town-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) behind the One Day Without Shoes (ODWS) initiative.
The One Day Without Shoes initiative took place on 10 May in front of Stellenbosch University’s (SU’s) law building and encouraged students to donate their old shoes that are still in good condition to those in need, said Chris Kode, head of Public Relations for the Students for Law and Social Justice SU branch. PHOTO: Jamie Venter
The initiative raised 834 pairs of shoes, which were donated to the Stellenbosch Night Shelter and a local safe house for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, stated Loeijs.
The initiative took place on 10 May in front of Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Old Main Building and encouraged students to donate their old shoes that are still in good condition to those in need, said Chris Kode, head of public relations for the Students for Law and Social Justice (SLSJ) SU branch.
“You donate shoes to people that don’t have or who have very limited poor quality shoes and you try to go barefoot for a day to realise what a privilege it is to have shoes, and the health and life implications of not having shoes or sufficient shoes,” said Jessica Lakay, a member of Stone Dragon.
Elkanah House’s high school donated 741 pairs of shoes, while 93 pairs were donated in Stellenbosch, stated Lakay.
The total number of shoes received was 834 pairs, which included 741 pairs donated by Elkanah House’s high school and 93 pairs donated in Stellenbosch. “We sent approximately 250 to the [Stellenbosch] night shelter, then the rest went to a safe house in Stellenbosch for women and children who are domestic violence victims,” said Cat Loeijs, who is part of the management committee of Stone Dragon, the organisation behind the recent One Day Without Shoes initiative. PHOTO: Cody Hansen
“Quite a few of the Stone Dragons were all at the same school [Elkanah House] so they got their whole school involved,” said Kode. SU’s department of sport science, the SLSJ and the Stellenbosch Juridical Society also contributed.
Contributing to the cause
“We are always in need of pre-loved, good quality second-hand shoes,” said Denise Paulse, manager of the Stellenbosch Night Shelter, via written correspondence with MatieMedia. “This enables our clients to be presentable when they are in contact with the public or go for job interviews.”
“Having a pair of shoes gives them a sense of belonging – they feel comfortable, do not have sore feet and are just part of normal society,” said Paulse.
Cat Loeijs (left) and Jessica Lakay (right) are part of Stone Dragon, a Cape Town-based non-governmental organisation that was behind One Day Without Shoes. This initiative appealed to students to donate pre-owned shoes in good condition to those in need and encouraged people to “try to go barefoot for a day to realise what a privilege it is to have shoes”, said Lakay. PHOTO: Cody Hansen
Taking the initiative
“In Stellenbosch, when we came back to campus, we realised that there seemed to be more homelessness than when we left, so we started working with the night shelter by donating sandwiches every week and now we’re trying to move away from relief measures to a more initiative-based approach,” said Loeijs.
Stone Dragon focuses on youth activism and volunteering, said Loeijs. “If there is something you see that’s a problem, we’re more than happy to stand behind you and let you figure out a way, with the agency of a registered NGO, to combat that,” she said.
Cat Loeijs (left) and Jessica Lakay (right) are part of Stone Dragon, a Cape Town-based non-governmental organisation that was behind One Day Without Shoes (ODWS) – an initiative which raises shoes for those in need and encourages people to go barefoot for a day. The most a single person donated towards the cause was 15 pairs of shoes, according to Lakay. PHOTO: Cody Hansen