Introduction

​

Having experienced at first hand the reality of injustice, racial discrimination and poverty, I am fully aware how this impacts on families, and especially on young children. Therefore, I decided to start the project “Walk in my Shoes” so that during the Holy Season of Lent, we could think about those who are less fortunate than we are.

One of the most important lessons I have learned from my time in South Africa, is that we must be grateful for what we have and thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed on us. Many of us living here in the so-called “first world” never seem grateful for the things we have. Always looking for the latest and best and not content with the many blessings God has bestowed upon us, we play the game “Keeping up with the Joneses”. This attitude or frame-of-mind is rapidly destroying the minds of our children and young people, wreaking havoc on the lives of young families. We need to rethink and reevaluate! Lent gives us the opportunity to do that!

​

“Walk in My Shoes”

There is a twofold reason why I called this project “Walk in My Shoes”. Firstly, we need to put ourselves in the situation of others and realise how blessed we actually are. Hopefully, this will inspire us to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves. Secondly, we need to help mitigate a concrete problem that many families have to face – the cost of uniforms and especially shoes! The school that this project is aimed at is one of the many schools that need help to alleviate the pressure placed on young families sending their children to school.