10 years later since Etsang Dieta Cooperative was established, thousands of school shoes have been produced and handed over to the Gauteng Department of Social Development, which in turn distributes to disadvantaged children in the province.
The Etsang Dieta Cooperative is funded by the department to produce school shoes as one of the elements of the Bana Pele Programme provided by the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) to provide a basket of services to vulnerable children.
According to Etsang Dieta Cooperative Director, Kekeletso Mosate, this year alone, over fifty-three thousand (53000) pairs of school shoes have been manufactured and are to be distributed in schools around Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Sedibeng regions.
Speaking to Weekly Bulletin at their offices in Johannesburg on Thursday, Mosate said she was saddened by the passing of their founder and Chair, Mme Mary Nkopane, who started the cooperative in 2010 after working for over 30 years as a shoe maker and repairer in a shoe manufacturing company.
"It is the first time that we get an opportunity to produce for three (3) Gauteng regions. Initially, we were producing school shoes for Johannesburg region, but now we have expanded to Ekurhuleni and Sedibeng," said Mosate.
She added that 60 percent of the 53 000 pairs of school shoes will go to Johannesburg, 30 percent to Ekurhuleni, and 10 percent to Sedibeng schools.
This followed a visit to sustainable livelihood projects by Gauteng Social Development MEC, Morakane Mosupyoe to check readiness and assess whether there is progress and that targets are being met.
"We are very happy to be working with the Gauteng Department of Social Development under the guidance and supervision of Sustainable Livelihood Director Mbali Ndlovu. She has been of great support over the years," added Mosate.​