Port Elizabeth – A group of paramedic students from Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University stripped off their boots and spent a day barefoot to highlight the plight of pupils without shoes.
Their bare feet join thousands of others in a social movement advanced by US shoe manufacturer TOMS, which plans to donate shoes to children in need around the world.
According to its website, TOMS will donate a pair of shoes for every picture of a pair of bare feet posted on Instagram with the #withoutshoes hashtag.
Student Maryke van Zyl said: “We feel it’s important to make that difference wherever we can.
“However, as students and with such a demanding course, we don’t always have the time and resources required for a lot of projects,” she said.
Van Zyl said they decided to do away with their safety boots for an entire day, completing physical training and attending lectures barefoot.
“This is a fun and simple way for us to raise awareness and, hopefully, make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children wherever they may be.
“It’s humbling to walk in someone else’s shoes, or rather the lack thereof.”
News24
Alan Straton
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