A special box for a special child
For many orphaned and defenceless children, a box wrapped in beautiful gift paper and with his or her name on it is a life-changing experience. Knowing that someone out there cares enough to choose to buy something special just for them.This is the Santa Shoebox project summarised in one special gift which in Namibia also fills the hearts of vulnerable children as in neighbouring South Africa undertakes every year over the Christmas season.
The Santa Shoebox Project is one of the largest children's charities in South Africa that once a year donates shoeboxes filled with eight essential items (an item of clothing, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, washcloth, educational toys, sweets and a toy) everywhere in SA as well as in Namibia to less privileged children.
"It's a great team-building event for companies to pick out the special items and for staff to fill the shoe boxes. Receiving a Santa Shoebox is a life-changing experience for most children – knowing that someone out there cares enough to buy and give you something special!” says Liezl Moodley of the project which this year in Namibia focuses on Ongwediva, Walvis Bay and Windhoek and surrounding areas.
Organisations in these three towns with facilities for disadvantaged children can now apply until 25 April to receive Santa Shoeboxes. These include orphanages or safe homes, daycare centers to kindergartens and schools.
According to Liezl, a volunteer coordinator in each of these three towns will visit the facilities that have applied and approve them or not, according to the charity's criteria. Applications are made online via www.santashoebox.org.za.
From 1 August, companies or teams that want to donate more than 20 Santa Shoeboxes can register on the website. A donor chooses a child by his or her name, age and gender through the website. Teams or companies that would like to donate shoeboxes can send an email to [email protected] for any enquiries.
"For the rest of the public and all individual donors, the process opens on 1 September. The donor can visit our website (www.santashoebox.org.za), register a donor profile, choose a drop-off point, for example, Windhoek, and then have access to the list of beneficiary children who fall under the Windhoek drop-off point," Liezl explains.
Donors choose a child by age, gender and name and no other information is available.
"Children are protected under the Child Protection Act, so the donor cannot see their surnames, photos or information from which institution they are."
From the end of October to the beginning of November, donors and teams will drop off their completed shoe boxes at the volunteer coordinator in the three towns.
"The coordinator scans all the boxes via a QR code on each label so we can keep track of all the boxes collected."
In November, the approved facilities receive all the Santa shoeboxes that have been donated and hand them to each child who has been selected to receive his or her gift with their name on it.
Visit https://santashoebox.org.za, https://www.goodthingsguy or send a WhatsApp to Liezl at +27 82 884 7639.