Patrick Moroanyane along with compassionate community members and players of Movers FC initiated a school shoe polishing campaign for learners in Soweto, polishing as many as 60 pairs in a single visit.
Moroanyane is the chairman of LFA club Movers FC based in Phiri, Soweto as well as the founder of the Siphiwe Tshabalala Tournament – which has grown into one of the most prestigious tournaments in the province.
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As a form of giving back to this community through sport, Patrick has initiated a school shoe polishing effort that sees him and fellow community members and former team players visit local schools to polish the shoes of learners.
The programme has been running since March.
"I was walking here in Phiri and bumped into a child, his shoes looked dirty old and unpolished. Jokingly, I asked why and he said he doesn't have any shoe polish. It broke my heart a bit," Moroanyane explains.
The initiative was to restore the confidence and dignity of our kids at school and also just to give parents one less thing to worry about."
"On a single visit, we polish as many as 60 pairs. The kids love their polished shoes. When we arrive some of them already have them lined up with their name tags and s as we are done we are met with the most priceless smiles from the kids."
"There's also a belief that when you are a football person, you are not a school person and when you are a school person that means you are not a football person. With this initiative, we are trying to get rid of that stigma. Sports has to go hand in hand with education."
"The response from players and the community has been fantastic, to be honest. Some are unemployed and are able to be with us more often but others who have other commitments join when they get a chance. Even Siphiwe Tshabalala has joined some of our initiatives on some occasions.
The initiative is, however, not without challenges.
"The major challenge has been the fact that so far I've been doing it from my own pockets and so, we run out of equipment, polish, brushes and things like that. We are still inviting corporate sponsors to get involved as well. Who knows, one day we might even be able to buy the kids brand-new shoes.
In the true spirit of growing the community, Moroanyane is unwavering in his efforts and has called on communities to step up and lead by example.
"To the community, we say that let us lead by example, let us have that spirit of togetherness and let's encourage that spirit of looking out for one another. Whenever you can help, do it in any way. It can even be a small gesture but it can make someone's day a bit better and let's show that education and sport are inseparable."
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