“The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.”
Nelson Mandela

In South Africa on June 16, 1976 tens of thousands of students take to the streets of Soweto to protest against compulsory use of Afrikaans in schools.
Thirteen year old Hector Pieterson is killed by police. This begins the Soweto youth uprising. As it spreads to other parts of the country over a thousand students are killed.

At the time of the Soweto uprising Nelson Mandela is still imprisoned on Robben Island. After his release, in a speech at a rally in Soweto on February 13. 1990, he honors Hector Pieterson and says: “We gained inspiration by your courage and conviction during our lonely years on the island.

Madiba’s dream was to build a Rainbow Nation of people living in peace and harmony. That this can ever be achieved by humans on our planet is doubtful, but if somebody deserves to be part of the rainbow nation it is little Hector Pieterson.

And so I made him rainbow sneakers along with a proper South African school uniform, and a backpack to store all the beautiful things he will be able to learn about his beautiful homeland South Africa.