The Santa Shoebox project (SSB) has once again opened their platform to the public to make a difference in a child’s life ahead of the festive season.
Durban Flagship Coordinator, Danae Deacon, encourages communities and businesses to make magic happen in a child’s life and make a pledge before 10 November, when the Durban North and uMhlanga drop off point will be available at Gateway Theatre of Shopping.
“I have been involved in this project now for the past eight years. The absolute joy and wonderment on the children’s faces when we hand the boxes out is what keeps me coming back year after year,” she said.
The project, which reached over a million children across South Africa and Namibia since its inception in 2006, has added another element to this year’s initiative.
CEO Deb Zelezniak said: “Under this year’s theme of ‘Share the Love’, donors will have the option to duplicate an item in their box which will enable the beneficiary child to gift that item to a friend or family member. This helps to empower the child while teaching them the joy of giving. The rationale behind this stemmed from the realisation that underprivileged children are usually not seen as powerful. All too often, these children are recipients of hand-me-downs and second-hand items that no one else wants. This is exactly the opposite of our ethos. An underprivileged child has the same potential, the same value and the same full, layered life that a child of privilege does. They simply aren’t given the same opportunities. ‘Share the Love’ is about empowering that child.”
Zelezniak said the ‘Share the Love’ concept also extends to the participating public. She said: “Because we are in an economic slump, a single donor may find it tough to fill an en- tire Shoebox. It might even be tricky for corporates to afford the same number of shoe-boxes they have in previous years – but this presents an opportunity for collaboration. When teams and families get together to pack boxes, they also get to share the rewarding experience and can walk away feeling good about themselves knowing that their efforts directly benefit the children they choose.”
Santa Shoeboxes contain a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, a facecloth, school supplies, a toy, sweets and an outfit of clothing. This year, in addition to the duplicate item provided by the public, Book Dash, which creates African storybooks that anyone can freely translate and distribute, will be including two books, one for the recipient and the other for them to gift to someone else.
“It really doesn’t matter if you do one box or multiple boxes, each and every single one makes such a difference in the life of an underprivileged child. So I challenge you, get your book club together, your running club, friends, work colleagues or family members and pledge a box! I guarantee you will have fun shopping for your chosen child as well as decorating your box,” said Deacon.
For more information or to make a pledge visit https://santashoebox.org.za/.
