A community‑based organisation has donated shoes to 1,000 pupils at Gachororo Primary School in Juja Sub‑County, offering relief to learners from low‑income families who have been attending classes barefoot amid rising living costs. The school sits in Juja’s largest informal settlement, where many parents struggle to afford basic school requirements.
Dom Shoes, a local CBO that targets vulnerable learners in Juja Constituency and other schools within the Nairobi metropolitan area, led the distribution. Parents and teachers said the donation will help protect children from injuries and infections, especially during the rainy season when the school compound floods and raw sewage mixes with stormwater. Many pupils access the few available lavatories without shoes, heightening health and safety risks.
Gachororo Primary School headteacher Ann Wanjiru hailed the donation as a shot-in-the-arm for many destitute learners who have been attending school without shoes.
“We have so many pupils who attend classes without shoes, and this exposes them to many risks, including injuries and infections. When it rains, flood water is usually mixed with raw sewerage, which spikes waterborne diseases such as typhoid, and our children are usually the most affected. We are grateful for the kind gesture by Dom Shoes,” Wanjiru said.
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Parents led by Eunice Wairimu noted that the current high cost of living and poverty levels within Gachororo informal settlement have left many of them cash-strapped to the point they cannot fully facilitate their children’s education.
“Most of us are casual laborers and the meagre pay we receive can only feed our families. Buying basic school requirements like shoes for our children is usually a toll order. We are, however, grateful for the donations, and we believe that our children are safer and can now focus well on their studies,” she said.
Dom Shoes CEO David Madaga said that the initiative aims at promoting equity in access to education and protecting children from a myriad of risks.
He noted that since the inception of the programme last year, the group has already distributed 4,000 pairs of shoes to needy learners in different schools, adding that they aim to reach out to over 10,000 learners by the end of this year.
“Our mantra is ‘no barefooted child in school,’ and we are expanding our scope to more schools so that we can help more vulnerable learners and help them concentrate on their studies. We understand that most parents are struggling to cater for their children’s basic needs,s and we only want to help them navigate the tough times,” Madaga said.
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Dr Joseph Gichui, a philanthropist and a community leader in Juja constituency, reiterated that learners must be provided with a good learning environment, including ensuring there are enough amenities within learning institution such as sufficient lavatories and classrooms.
“It’s shocking that at this age our children are suffering from issues that can be prevented. It starts with the right leadership that is cognizant of all issues bedevilling members of the community. We shall be partnering with groups and well-wishers like Dom Shoes to help the less privileged in the society,” Dr Gichui said.
Dr Gichui called for sustained support from the government, private sector players and well-wishers to address the challenges facing learners in informal settlements and safeguard their right to education.
By John Kamau
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