JOHANNESBURG, 02 March 2023: South African children are among 7 million pupils in Africa who go to school either without proper school shoes or barefoot, exposing them to injuries and infections. Nickelodeon Africa is aligned to South African leading sneaker brand, Bathu’s purpose-driven commitment to donate 1 million school shoes by the year 2031. Last year, Nickelodeon and Bathu partnered to provide 250 pupils at Morakoma Primary School in Mamelodi, East of Pretoria, with school shoes to enable them to walk their journey and learn with dignity.
Nickelodeon Africa takes pride in being the top children’s entertainment brand and in having grown a diversified, international company which always puts children first. A social media contest during the Kids Choice Awards 2022 led to the formation of the collaboration with Bathu. The competition’s winner received a pair of limited-edition Bathu sneakers and was given an opportunity to pick a school of their choice to donate school shoes to, alongside Culture Squad member and NickMusic host Lerai Rakoditsoe.
“As cliché as it may sound, children are the future and we all need to come together to create a nurturing environment conducive to learning. A step towards that vision is to ensure that by the year 2031 South African pupils can walk their education journey experience without stressing about school shoes. If local brands don’t play their part, how can we blame children for not being able to live their full potential? “says, Cedrick Diphoko, Managing Director of Bathu.
“We are delighted to be working with Bathu on this initiative. It’s a small gesture but we know that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Ultimately, with this relationship, we hope to make a difference in the lives of the children at Morakoma Primary School and bring to life our ambition to see South African children be children again and reach in their full potential.” says Dillon Khan, Senior Vice President of Nickelodeon Africa.
“A lot of our pupils are vulnerable and rely on the government social grants. While these grants help a lot, they do not pay for needs like school shoes. We are incredibly appreciative that Mmakatshaba Bopape and Lerai Rakoditsoe chose us as the school to receive the Bathu School shoes. The majority of our students are in need of school shoes and have been forced to either go barefoot or wear worn-out, small shoes. Bathu and Nickelodeon’s initiative has genuinely restored their dignity and hope,” says Mrs Manyashi, Principal of Morakoma Primary School.
To learn more about this partnership and how you can contribute to building to a child’s dignity, follow @bathu and @nickelodeon_Africa @NickAfrica across all social media platforms.
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