KNOWING that schoolchildren will head back to school soon, Resta Enterprise Sdn Bhd donated 2,705 pairs of Abaro school shoes to underprivileged pupils in Kuala Lumpur.
Some 134 schools were identified under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) project.
The collaboration between Resta Enterprise and Kuala Lumpur Federal Territories Board of School Headmasters (MGBWPKL) identified 20 pupils from each school to get the footwear.
The initiative was to help children from B40 households enter school without having to worry about footwear.
MGBWPKL president Roslan Jais said the move was in line with the Malaysian Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025, which was to partner with parents, communities and the private sector to help transform the education system.
Kuala Lumpur Federal Territories State Education Department director Maznah Abu Bakar said providing children with basic necessities would help ease B40 parents’ financial burden to get their children ready for school.
“I have encountered a case where a pair of siblings took turns going to school, just because they shared one pair of shoes, ” said Maznah.
Hamidon Hasha Akhbar, 44, a single father and his two daughters were among those who benefitted from the programme. Hadhinah Zarith Hamidon, eight, and Hadhirah Zarith Hamidon, six, are enrolled at SK Convent 2 Bukit Nanas.
Hamidon, who previously worked as a personal driver, suffers from arthritis.
He is now continuing his tertiary education at Universiti Tun Abdul Razak to improve himself.
“This donation certainly helps reduce the cost I have to fork out for their schooling expenses next year, ” said Hamidon, adding that the family relied on financial aid from several government bodies.
He also hoped that more of such initiatives would continue as there were others in need of financial help.
The school shoes contributed this time are all white shoes as the colour still complies with the school system until 2021.
“Instead of wasting the white shoes due to the change of policy, it is good for us to donate them to those in need, ” said Resta Enterprise managing director Bill Siah, with regards to Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik’s announcement on replacing white school shoes to black ones effective 2021.
To-date, more than 200,000 pairs of Abaro shoes were donated to underprivileged children nationwide and across Asean countries under its CSR programme.
The beneficiaries of the “Let’s Go To School With Abaro” were pupils from SK Kampung Selayang, SK Sri Perak, SK Bandar Tasik Selatan, SK Seri Tasik, SK Sri Kepong, SK Sentul 2, SK Seri Cheras, SK Wangsa Jaya, SK (L) Jalan Batu and SK Sri Permaisuri.
For more school shoes selection this back-to-school season, visit www.abaro.com.my/
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