A South African footwear icon and #doDifferent
First impressions are critical when it comes to starting your first job. A professional image sets a good impression and builds confidence.
New job market entrants often struggle to afford the professional attire required to create a good impression at their first job. This is a problem DORP (Digital Online Retail Products) have sought to help address via their founding brand Veldskoen.
The Veldskoen brand was launched in 2016 with the inspiration to reimagine an authentically South African clothing item. The brand has since grown by meteoric proportions, entering foreign markets, and even being spotted on the feet of a (now ex-) prince! The brand is proudly South African, manufactured locally, with a strong focus on South African stories.
For Mandela Day 2020, DORP donated 67 pairs of their Veldskoen shoes to the Trusted Interns organization to be distributed to first-time job seekers. They wanted to continue the concept beyond this one-off event and therefore launched an ongoing campaign which allows customers to buy a pair of shoes to be donated to a first-time job seeker.
For each pair of shoes donated, Veldskoen will match the donation. Another option available is to contribute R100 towards a pair of shoes, also matched by the company.
We love that small gestures can lead to big outcomes. Research suggests that breaking the barrier to entry for the first job leads to better outcomes for future employment opportunities. So, a seemingly small factor like new shoes has the potential to make a big impact on the professional success of the recipient.
So, when seeking out a new pair of shoes, why not choose to #doDifferent and support a cause which empowers future professionals here.
