Unemployment has left many families unable to afford necessities such as school shoes for their children. Learners from those families have to miss classes in winter for no reason other than having no shoes.
George Mfana Shikhathi was once such a child who had to brave the cold, and walk to school in worn-out shoes, sometimes even barefooted.
Growing up under such conditions inspired Shikhathi to have a big heart, which often manifests in donating school uniforms. Besides being a philanthropist, Shikhathi is an entrepreneur who has to wear multiple hats.
He is the founder of Sir George Mfana Marketing Solutions, a marketing agency that offers marketing services. His other work experience includes working with local brands such as Drip Footwear, AYU Clothing, Abuti Clothing, Spring Taboo, and Drop Clothing.
“The current brands I am working with are THE HANGAWT 1632 Restaurant based in Tembisa and FROSTY ICE. Although I may be working with these brands, my charity work is still operational,” he told TransformSA.
Shikhathi runs a shoe drive called “Help A Kid Charity.” He said it didn’t make sense back then, but years later, a thought crossed his mind to make a difference in his community.
“My inspiration to start a charity was sparked by my late friend, Matome Seakamela, who used to lend me his clothes. He was such a generous person. His family was middle-class, so they could afford to buy him clothes. On days when our school asked us not to wear school uniforms, he would often lend me his clothes. Remember, I didn’t have nice clothes by then. At the time, I didn’t know what he was doing was generosity, but as I grew older, I realized that my friend was a giving person,” he recalled.
According to research by the University of Stellenbosch, children with worn-out school shoes risk developing foot abnormalities such as hammer, clawed, and retracted toes.
Some learners might even avoid school because having their peers know they do not have shoes or wearing extremely worn-out ones leads to feelings of shame.
“That’s when I took it upon myself to start an initiative to host my birthday celebration since I’m well-known in and around Tembisa. I would charge an entrance fee and use part of the fee to buy the less privileged kids’ school uniform,” he added.
Shikhathi’s turning point was when he noticed that all his Facebook posts were getting high engagement from his followers. So he decided to use that to raise donations.
He has been giving back to his community for over five years without a sponsor. Roughly more than 100 children have benefited from his charity, and Shikhathi’s goal is to do more. He usually asks his Facebook followers to donate any amount and uses their donations to make a difference.
“The plan now is to go even outside Gauteng. Even if it means we need to courier school shoes, we will do that,” he concluded. His goal is to work with prominent brands such as KFC.
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