Growing up, I never owned much in terms of material belongings. But the love I got from my mother and father shielded me from the thought of ever lacking something. They did not only offer their generous love to me, but to the whole community. They respected everyone equally, despite what they owned. Society, on the other hand, is perceived to only respect you once you can afford an expensive lifestyle. It has always been my goal is to change that narrative.
I made a promise to myself that, given the chance, I will try to make a difference in other people’s lives by giving back the dignity that poverty has stripped them of. Many of us want to give, but without the means giving is not always possible. At Boldr, I never miss an opportunity to do just that: to give back. And without their emotional and financial support, I would not have been able to accomplish anything.
I have been involved with a number of impact projects this year. The one nearest to my heart was the school shoe project, which also meant arranging for donations of socks to various establishments.
The idea seemed easy enough: donate shoes to scholars from the Samora Michel Primary School who did not have enough money to buy new shoes. However, in the planning, it became clear that giving shoes without socks did not make any sense. We partnered with Sexy Socks, who pledged to donate a pair of socks for every pair sold.
By collaborating with Sexy Socks, we were able to distribute 500 pairs of school socks to underprivileged communities and schools that were close to our hearts. This was not only enough for my project, but also for other projects facilitated by fellow Boldranians. The team members were eager to share their experience and their gratitude.
“Ikamva Youth is a non-profit education organization. They seek to enable disadvantaged youth to lift themselves out of poverty and into university or employment, as well as support learners to become agents of change within their communities. I dropped off 126 pairs of socks for the Grade 10 and 11 Learners in their Khayelitsha program. These students attend Ikamva every day, even some Saturdays as the meal they receive at the afterschool program is the only meal they will have for the entire day. With food insecurity rife within the community, school uniforms and supplies are not high on the priority list for parents. The program was so thankful for the donation. This is just another way that they can help impact these students and the community at large.
Joining the Boldr family has been such a rewarding experience for me and has impacted my life in more ways than I can articulate in words. It has reminded me that people are inherently good and wish the best for others. That has reignited a spark in me to seek meaningful connections with others. Being given the opportunity to meet with these young people from marginalized communities, speaking with them, hearing their stories and their dreams, then being able to offer them another avenue to reach a fuller, richer life that they so rightly deserve, is rewarding and incredibly inspiring. I am indebted to Boldr.🧡”
“I dropped the socks off at the Lantern School, in Roodepoort, yesterday 23 Nov. We donated 160 pairs of socks to all the boys in gr 1, 4, 5, and 6. I spoiled the teachers each with cake and cappuccinos. The boys and teachers were very excited and grateful. It is such a blessing to be part of one of our Impact projects – spreading smiles and seeing the joy that something as simple as a pair of socks can bring! I am a proud Boldranian!“
“There was a devastating fire in Cape Town earlier this month on one of the poorer townships and I heard that the community had lost everything including the children’s school uniforms. I knew Gift Of the Givers was assisting this community and I approached them to donate socks to the community in need. They readily obliged and handed the socks to the children affected. It was a small gesture of assistance but brought many smiles. Thank you Sexy Socks for this opportunity.“
On the 11th of November 2022 we delivered 120 school socks to the Hope Foundation to give to the needy children at Samora Machel Primary School. The teachers and the principal were very grateful for this donation. It was such a humbling experience to give back to those in need. I would like to thank the ladies involved, as well as Sexy Socks, who donated the school socks for us to finish our school-shoe drive. These children were really in need. This could potentially make an incredible difference in their lives.
A big thanks to Jenny Reynolds and Boldr for all the help in achieving our dreams of helping others. Working for this company has helped me to realize my dream, to actually see the potential I have in doing projects like these, and to notice the difference I can make to the future leaders of this country, or the people raising those leaders.
Sibonisiwe Mrwarwaza is a Sales Development Representative at Boldr