After six years of placing school shoes on the feet of poor kids, a former gangster who once drugged with his father, is continuing to bring joy and this week blessed another 100 kids at four different schools with skoene.
On Monday, ex-Naughty Boys gangster and former drug addict, Sabastian Haricombe, 30, and his father,
a former 28s prison gangster, Ralph Haricombe, 62, donated the shoes to pupils at Talfalah, Red River, Saambou and Primrose Park primary schools in Manenberg.
This was thanks to generous donations from Caltex garage owner in Manenberg, Sabrie Mosaval, and a local business named Cool Bananas.
Sabrie says he believes in ploughing back into the community he serves: “We think of the children who live here and we know they cannot be left to look after themselves.
“While we are receiving, we must also give back to this community and not just make profits.
“These shoes might be worn by three or four different children in its life span.”
Ex-gangsters give skoene to 100 kids
Sabastian says his non-profit organisation, HOPE, has raised R40 000 this year.
In 2013, he began with just R1300 and recently they received a bakkie from a generous donor.
Sebastian says having once been homeless, he often wore broken shoes, so he knows first hand what it is like growing up poor.
“We want to say thank you to the people who make this
possible and we can continue to build relationships with
the schools.”
Primrose Primary School principal, Ricardo Ward, says they are grateful for the change the shoes have brought: “If the children are happy, we are happy.”