Over 300 school shoes donated to honour Jerobejin van Wyk's memory
In a heartfelt gesture, over 300 school shoes were donated to restore dignity to learners at Nieuwoudt Primary School in memory of Jerobejin van Wyk.
Image: supplied
In memory of murdered 13-year-old Jerobejin van Wyk, activists, with the help of the organisation “Samantha’s Feet,” donated over 300 school shoes to his former classmates and learners at Nieuwoudt Primary School as a form of dignity restoration, as Human Rights Day is set to be observed.
Wendy Pekeur, Founder and Coordinator of Ubuntu Rural Women and Youth Movement, shared that she often thought about Jerobejin, who was killed for stealing farmer Daniel Smit’s mangoes in 2022 in Klawer. Smit was sentenced to 15 years for attempted murder, ten years for kidnapping, five years for violating a corpse, and three years for defeating the ends of justice.
“He was supposed to be in school on that day, but found himself in town picking mangoes. Maybe he was hungry; maybe it was circumstances that kept him from being in school,” said Pekeur.
In memory of murdered 13-year-old Jerobejin van Wyk, activists, with the help of the organisation “Samantha’s Feet,” donated over 300 school shoes to his former classmates and learners at Nieuwoudt Primary School as a form of dignity restoration, as Human Rights Day is set to be observed.
Image: supplied
“The other school I applied for was Doringbay Primary on the West Coast. The request was granted, and in February, I received a call from Henriette from Samaritan's Feet,” she explained. “They are an amazing organisation that donated shoes to over 300 learners.”
Pekeur shared how a simple gesture can change a child’s life and how she, as a child, was so grateful to receive a new pair of shoes or a uniform.
“Why was this important for me, growing up as a child? I went to high school at Bernadino Heights SSS in Kraaifontein without school shoes and a proper uniform, and children made fun of me,” she said. “In my standard 7 year, which is now grade 9, my late grandmother bought me a pair of school shoes and a school dress. I lived with my parents in Scottsdene, and my grandma was not aware that I did not have school shoes or a school uniform. When she learnt I did not have one, the first thing she did was to give me money for school shoes and a uniform. I finished my matric in 1996 from Bernadino Heights Secondary School in Kraaifontein. I will never forget the feeling of putting on my new shoes and school dress. The confidence it gave me."
Jerobejin van Wyk was murdered in February after he was caught picking mangoes with a friend.
Image: file
She said many learners are often bullied because they do not have a school uniform or shoes and wanted to restore dignity. “The handover was the most rewarding feeling. To make a difference in that way, you can never be the same."