Former Springbok wing Bryan Habana was once one of the fastest players on the rugby field and warmed many a rugby fan's heart with his skills.
These days he is still warming hearts, and this was evident when he handed over school shoes to children in Alexandra township in Joburg.
It was an auspicious day for the learners of Ikage and Iphutheng primary schools in Alexandra, when Habana visited them to hand over shiny new My Walk school shoes and share some words of encouragement with them for the future.
Habana's non-profit organisation, the Bryan Habana Foundation, joined the My Walk "Step into Greatness" campaign by donating 3000 pairs of new school shoes to the learners at these two schools.
My Walk is a social, environmental sustainability enterprise and supplier development initiative sponsored by Netcare and Adcock Ingram Critical Care.
The initiative produces fully recyclable, high quality school shoes for learners through an innovative upcycling project, and is delivered in partnership with Southern Basadi, a black women-owned waste-management enterprise.
The former rugby star said that the power of education and school sports helping to make a child's dreams a reality should never be underestimated.
"I heard about this powerful initiative when the Netcare chief executive Dr Richard Friedland delivered a talk at the Gordon Institute of Business Science. I was so inspired by this innovation and its impact on society and the environment, that I immediately knew that I wanted to be involved," said Habana.
He said when children had access to resources, starting with fundamental essentials like school shoes, and the opportunity to develop their skills, it was a lifechanger for them and their community.
