“Giving With a Smile”: Wits and 4 Youth Foundations Donate Shoes to Rural Communities

• The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment at Wits partnered with four youth-led organisations to deliver school shoes and dignity packs to learners in rural areas
• The initiative targeted schools where learners walk long distances to school without proper footwear
• South African singer Azana was among the leaders behind the drive, with organisations emphasising that this was about creating sustainable change

A group of young South Africans got together and decided to make a real difference for rural school learners who were walking long distances to class without proper shoes. The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment, known as CAPSI, based at the University of the Witwatersrand, teamed up with four organisations for what they called the Isibani Initiative. Those organisations were Isibani sikaNkulunkulu NPC, The Good Cause Foundation, the Makhosazana Foundation and the South African Youth Business Chamber. Together, they reached schools in Mpumalanga on 19 March 2026 and then crossed into Eswatini the following day on 20 March.

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The shoes chosen for the initiative were eco-friendly and water-resistant, designed specifically for learners who walk long distances to school in all weather conditions. Learners also received dignity packs with sanitary products and basic essentials. According to the Adopt-a-School Foundation, a partner entity of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, ten million learners across South Africa walk to school each day, and many do so without proper footwear. Missing school because of worn-out or missing shoes is a real problem, with some learners staying home out of shame or physical injury caused by poor footwear on rough terrain.

Leading the Makhosazana Foundation was South African singer Azana, born Makhosazana Princess Masango, who explained that schools were carefully assessed before the visit to make sure the help went where it was needed most. She said the team gave with smiles and words of affirmation, reminding learners that what starts in the imagination can become reality through hard work. Mthunzi Ndlela of The Good Cause Foundation was clear that the goal was never charity.

"We came to create sustainable change," he said.

Actress and community advocate Luyanda Zwane, founder of Isibani sikaNkulunkulu NPC, added that the partnership with Wits allowed them to reach learners in a more meaningful way than any one organisation could alone.

In Eswatini, Member of Parliament Mduduzi Dlamini of the Nkhomiyahlaba constituency welcomed the initiative, saying families who cannot afford school shoes now had renewed support. He pointed out that arriving at school with dignity is not a small thing, it shapes how a child feels about learning every single day.

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Professor Bheki Moyo of Wits Business School and CAPSI reminded people that giving on the African continent is not simply about charity. It is a social practice rooted in community and shared responsibility, which is exactly what the Isibani Initiative set out to reflect.

More on SA organisations making a difference

• Briefly News recently reported on Nomzamo Mbatha's Lighthouse Foundation raising R1 million to keep 60 children in school.
• Siya Kolisi was spotted visiting Roger Federer's foundation to give back to children's education.
• A Gauteng woman called on South Africans to support a mobile library van bringing free books to children in Soweto, and Mzansi's response in the comments showed exactly how much people care about education.

Source: Briefly News