18 July is International Nelson Mandela Day
I've been to radio stations, newspapers and they all turned me down. I am now appealing to TVSA silent and active bloggers to assist me reach my target of 327 pairs of toughees shoes for Maake Primary School which is a school located 25 kilo metres out of Tzaneen in Limpopo all in the spirit of #MandelaDay.
Some of you might not be able to travel all the way to Tzaneen to be part of this occassion, but you can help me help learners of my village enjoy their 4 kilometres (max) walk to and from school. Therefore, instead of buying me birthday gifts for my birthday, I will highly appreciate a pair of toughees that will be handed over to Maake Primary School learners. To make this a dream come true, we need a total of 327 pair of shoes to cover all learners. So far I have about 10 pairs that have been contributed thorugh personal delivery, eft, ewallet and cashsend.
If you can't beat them, join them: Makisto turns 30 on 18 July, to celebrate, he joins
in the 67 minutes good deeds drive because he is always forgotten on his birthday.
As I am turning 30 this year on 18 July, rather than going out to a restaurant with friends to dine and wine, I have decided my birthday wish is to have 327 pairs of toughees which I can go back to my primary school and, through your act of kindness, donate to the school.
I have even tried to contact toughees asking for sponsorship. To cut a long story short, they figureratively told me they are in business of making profit and they are not a charity organisation.
I do acknowledge this is not a new/innovative idea as Lupi did it some few years back. But that does not mean I cannot draw inspiration from him and apply it to my village, which is at times, one of the forgotten villages when it comes to distribution of services and charity drives such as Mandela Day.
Not every
family can afford to buy their children a pair of school shoes and I have a very personal experience on this matter. I remember getting a pair of tukkies for winter and they served as my toughees and I would also wear them on special occasions. It is this personal experience that challenges me to want to make a difference in the lives of Maake Primary School learners who have a story like mine.
The United Nations and the South African Government have asked every global dweller to show an act of kindness for 67 minutes which equates to the 67 years that Mandela dedicated to try and make the world a better place.
A total of 327 pairs is needed to make Makisto's birthday wish come true
"Take action, inspire change and make everyday a Mandela Day" is the Nelson Mandela Foundation's theme for 18 July. Imagine if one learner puts on a pair of decent shoes you bought when they go to school each day, surely there is no better way of making everyday a Mandela Day other than this way.
As I celebrate my birthday on 18 July, I think it is befitting that we respond to the United Nations and the South African Government’s call of making our communities better places. I personally feel our communities can become better places if we invest in the schooling experience of our children. Imagine in this plummeting temperatures there are children walking to school barefoot on dusty streets...
To make your contribution, please contact me on 076 563 3725 or if you are in and around Pretoria, you can call and arrange delivery. I am very cognisent of the fact that most people are career people, would like to contribute but do not have time to go buy the shoes. Therefore, I do accept ewallet, cashsend etc, and I will buy the shoes on your behalf, post a pic of the shoes with a till slip for that day on my Instagram and Twitter. On Instagram I am at selfierunnerza.
The sizes are:
Size 1X 18
Size 2 X 34
Size 3 X 38
Size 4 X 29
Size 5 X 46
Size 6 X 27
Size 8 (for children) X 8
Size 10 (for children) X 3
Size 11 (for children) X 32
Size 12 (for children) X 60
Size 13 (for children) X 32
I release a heavenly annointing to everyone who is gonna help me help the learners of my village with this drive in Jesus name and I declare prosperity in all your lives and God bless. Let everybody say Amen.