Over 125 children of Mother Rose Junior School Mbirizi in Lwengo district have received a donation of 130 pairs of school shoes worth sh6.5m.

Dr. Immaculate Nabukenya, one of the founding members of Soma Foundation which donated the shoes said, the donation is geared under the ‘Soles for Success Campaign’ which the foundation started for school-going children.

"When a child goes to school wearing shoes, it boosts their self esteem and confidence. As the world is advancing in technology, there shouldn’t be any school going child attending school barefooted. However, there are many children in rural areas who have never owned a pair of shoes since they were born because their parents cannot afford buying them. We therefore mobilized funds from friends and well wishers who gave us money that we added up and bought 130 pairs of shoes for these children," Nabukenya said.

Some of the pair of shoes before they were distributed. (Photo by Jovita Mirembe)

Gonzaga Kamoga, another co- founder said, the reason why Mother Rose Junior School Mbirizi was chosen is because it is one of the schools in the community where he was born and worked that he saw children going to school barefooted.

"As a youth I thought of having these children own a pair of shoes which will change their lives when they are smart and confident," Kamoga said.

Phillip Bugingo and Ronah Kazungu also co-founders of the organization said the campaign ‘Soles for Success Campaign’ will spread all over the schools in the district and the country as a whole. 

(L-R) Gonzaga Kamoga, Ronah Kazungu, Dr Immaculate Nabukenya and Phillip Bugingo, founders of Soma Foundation. (Photo by Jovita Mirembe)

The school head teacher John Baligeya Mulindwa, thanked Soma Foundation for choosing the school he heads first in all the schools in the community. He said, most children in his school are vulnerable in one way or the other and they really appreciated the kind gesture from the foundation.

After wearing old plastic open shoes to school for long, Harriet Nabukenya, who aspires to become a doctor, was pleased to get a new pair of shoes. She hasn't had a pair of school shoes in over three years, and she sometimes used to walk to school barefooted.