‘These shoes are much more than just a uniform requirement. They provide dignity, comfort and protection. For some pupils, the lack of proper footwear can lead to embarrassment, bullying, and missed school days that negatively impact on their studies and in the long-run, adds deepening cycles of poverty in their communities,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

River Red Primary School is one of the schools that entered into a partnership with the City’s Mayoral Urban Regeneration Project (MURP) in 2024. This partnership has led to projects such as the establishment of a vegetable garden, community clean-ups on Spring Day and the latest donation of school shoes. More schools in vulnerable MURP nodes are set to be identified and partnered with to ensure the programme has maximum reach and impact.

The donation of school shoes to pupils is a key component of the Deputy Mayor’s ‘Soles for Souls’ campaign, which seeks to ensure that no child in Cape Town is without proper footwear.

‘We have made great strides since launching this campaign and I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who has donated. While there’s still much work to be done, we are already seeing the positive impact that a pair of school shoes can have on these pupils,’ said Alderman Andrews.

The ‘Soles for Souls’ campaign aims to collect 42 200 pairs of shoes for various pupils across Cape Town. Notable partners such as the Santa Shoebox Project, which is renowned for providing gifts to children in need, and the online fundraising platform GivenGain, support the campaign. All shoes are purchased from ‘Barefoot not more’.

High resolution photographs are available here.