Our Work
The Esmeralda Mateus Foundation is dedicated to transforming the educational landscape by investing in a future where every learner can thrive. With a mission focused on removing barriers to education, the foundation provides essential supplies like shoes, uniforms, and learning tools to students in need. Through compassionate initiatives and mentorship programs, it empowers learners to build confidence and pursue meaningful futures. By fostering community collaboration, the foundation takes significant steps, one student at a time, to ensure quality education for all.
Every child deserves to step confidently into the classroom, ready to learn and succeed. The School Shoe Drive is an initiative started by Esmeralda Mateus, dedicated to providing students with proper, durable school shoes.
Something as simple as a pair of shoes can make a profound difference in a child’s educational experience, promoting dignity, comfort, and confidence
The School Drive helps underprivileged children and students from low-income families who lack access to proper footwear for school. Many of these children
face challenges that extend beyond the classroom, the goal is to ensure that a lack of appropriate shoes isn’t one of them.
By providing new, comfortable, and durable shoes, the initiative supports children in primary and high school, helping them attend school with and focus on their education.
Milestones
The initiative has reached over 30 students in
Mafikeng, Dihatswane and Slurry in the North West Province and so far 30 pairs of shoes have been donated to schools
Psalm 127:3 “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”
Vision and Mission
The vision of the initiative is to reach more students across the country, ensuring that they receive the education they deserve. The mission of the School Shoe Drive is to provide students in need with high-quality, durable school shoes. By addressing this essential need, the initiative aims to remove barriers to education, enhance students' comfort and confidence, and support their ability to learn and thrive in the classroom.