CEO of Riverline Foundation LGB appeals for support to provide shoes for children

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Riverline Foundation LGB, Mr. Daniel Siaw Akoto is making a passionate appeal to various government institutions, the corporate world, and kind-hearted individuals to come on board and support the foundation’s ambitious objective to provide a decent footwear for each child of school going age in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region and other parts of the country.

The foundation, a charitable organization focused on assisting the less privileged in society in collaboration with World Shoes, a shoe manufacturing company in Akosombo is targeting the provision of shoes for about 37,000 children of school-going age in Asuogyaman.

The CEO indicated that the need to supply the free shoes for the students arose out of the lack of appropriate footwear by the affected children whose parents are too poor to afford it.

“Our major objective is to ensure that every child in the Asuogyaman District would have decent footwear,” said the CEO. “Most children of school-going age are without appropriate footwear.”

Expressing regret that most children in Asuogyaman and other parts of the country were without decent footwear, Mr. Akoto who added that the foundation’s objectives span beyond the Asuogyaman enclave envisioned providing the about 37,000 children from the primary to senior high school level with high-quality shoes from World Shoes.

To help the foundation undertake the project, the CEO said it has already written to some institutions including the Volta River Authority (VRA), and GRIDCO, amongst others for the necessary financial assistance.

“Our aim is to give every child in Ghana a shoe to wear,” he disclosed an ambitious objective underscoring the important role shoes play in facilitating the education of children including raising their confidence level and approach to studies.

A child being denied footwear, therefore, the CEO furthered, deprives them of the necessary confidence to successfully and effectively undertake their studies.

He opined that it was high time the private institutions rallied together to offer the necessary support for the educational sector to complement the government’s free SHS policy.

Appealing to the institutions for support. Mr. Akoto noted that investing in the project as part of their corporate, social responsibilities was an appropriate channel to commit resources to shape the future of the children.

He was hopeful that the project could be developed into a national policy to support needy children in the country.

Wearing of the appropriate footwear helps to eradicate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) such as Podoconiosis and Elephantiasis.