Bonolo stands in the doorway, waving goodbye to her younger brother who is braving the winter cold barefoot today because he has outgrown his school shoes. Bonolo sighs. She isn’t going to school this morning as she can’t afford to buy sanitary products.

For many of us, this scenario seems unthinkable, but for thousands of South African learners it is the unfortunate reality.

This year, in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July, the NWU’s three alumni offices honoured Madiba’s legacy by buying R5 000 worth of shoes and sanitary products for schools with learners in need.

The goods were divided equally across the three campuses, with each campus identifying a school most in need.

The campus in Vanderbijlpark identified Tsoaranang Primary School in Sharpeville and in Mahikeng the choice was Moletsabangwe Primary School in Moletsabangwe. In Potchefstroom, the beneficiary was Boitirelo Primary School in Ikageng.