“Walk In My Shoes” is a brave initiative by Masingita Masungu. Afflicted with cerebral palsy, this incredible South African is determined to achieve ‘impossible’ things!
Despite living with Cerebral Palsy – a disorder that impairs movement and affects muscle tone or posture – this South African managed to summit the highest mountain in Africa earlier this year and is now taking on a trip to Cairo!
“I summited Kilimanjaro in June, and that was saying to this African child… no mountain is too high for you!”
Masingita Masunga was born in Giyani Limpopo and although born with cerebral palsy, this incredible South African never took no for an answer. Against all odds, she passed matric (after failing twice because her handwriting was so poor), got her driver’s licence after eight years of trying, started her own TV show and, in June 2018, summited Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak.
“I have done things the way they were never meant to be done,” explaining how she had been born with cerebral palsy, a coordination disability, after being breached at birth and not receiving enough oxygen.
Over the years she has reached many milestones, always raising the bar and redefining what it means to have Cerebral Palsy and this festive season she is taking on a trip to Cairo to inspire South Africans to “walk in each other’s shoes”. Masunga who says that it took her more than eight years to get her driver’s license will, on 16 December begin her brave journey called Walk In My Shoes which will see her driving from South Africa, all the way to Cairo.
The aim of the initiative is to rally society to unite in helping the less fortunate by donating shoes.
Masingita’s drive and ambition caught the attention of Aspen’s Stavros Nicolaou and the Deputy Minister of Communications, Pinky Kekana, who provided a keynote address at the launch.
“It was during a discussion on how we can make South Africa unite that led to both of them deciding to come on board and support this great campaign. The Walk in My Shoes initiative is about breaking barriers and boundaries, I also want to say, let’s come together as a nation, let us stop looking at our differences as a negative thing, but let us embrace them”, says Masunga.
“When you think about ways in which to make this country better, people like Masingita instantly come to mind, it is so amazing what she has been able to achieve. Aspen’s values are about building sustainable societies and communities and this is the reason we are fully backing this initiative” concludes Nicolaou, Senior Executive: Strategic Trade Aspen Pharmacare Group.
Be a part of the #walkinmyshoes initiative by giving a pair of your shoes to someone who is walking a journey that is different from yours… or find out more on Facebook walkinmyshoes.
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