Why this shoe drive gets personal:
During my time in Haiti I witnessed different types of poverty.
When I was thirteen I walked along the roads of the cities there making sure to stay in a straight line and doing everything I could to not pinch my nose shut. Why? Raw sewage. It ran along the sides of streets due to little to none sewage systems. Thousands of peoples feces just out in the open for everyone to see and unfortunately smell.
But here is something that struck hard, more so than raw sewage: no running water. The majority of people living in third world countries have to walk sometimes miles for well water. Think about that..you want to cook or bathe that day? You cant just go to a bathroom like we have hear in America. You have to go walk to the well, pump it, carry it all the way back to your house (if you even are lucky enough to have one) and then sterilize the water before you use it.
Medical clinics: During my second time to Haiti I stayed in a small village set up in the mountains. The only source for the ill within miles was a free medical clinic that was only open once a week, had one doctor and sometimes the line to be seen wasn’t justifiable.
So Imagine this:
You live in a underdeveloped country. You are living with your two sisters, their husbands and their children. The husbands both have jobs, one is a farmer and one works at a wifi cafe. You have no job security so at the time you are doing task around the house. Since your two sisters are mostly maintaining the little ones you have the daily task of getting the household water. You have no money for shoes since you are jobless and your last pair has so many holes in them its easier to wear none. You set out for the water pretty early in the morning, since you live in a city you want to avoid waiting at the well.
On your way back, while carrying gallon buckets of water you feel something sharp in your foot. You don’t stop because you are almost home and want to avoid spilling the water. When you get home you notice that there is just a small cut on the bottom of your foot.
Over the next few weeks you begin to fall very ill. You don’t have the money nor transportation to make it to the next city to a hospital and your best bet is a free medical clinic a few towns away. You wait all day in the line to be seen and what the doctor tells you is devastating. Since you were wearing no shoes in the city and got a cut, the cut got infected. The doctor says the streets are too unsanitary with there being no sewage systems. He gives you antibiotics but tells you that they may not work due to the severity of the infection. He says if you don’t go to a hospital it may be fatal. But you cant go to the hospital because you have no money, no job, no transportation. To think this could have been avoided by wearing shoes.
Now imagine this:
You live in a underdeveloped country. You are living with your two sisters, their husbands and their children. The husbands both have jobs, one is a farmer and one works at a wifi cafe. You have no job security so at the time you are doing task around the house. Since your two sisters are mostly maintaining the little ones you have the daily task of getting the household water. You have no money for shoes since you are jobless and your last pair has so many holes in them its easier to wear none. You set out for the water pretty early in the morning, since you live in a city you want to avoid waiting at the well.
On your way you are stopped by someone. They ask to talk to you really quick and you say yes. They explain to you that you can start up your own business of selling shoes. You tell them you cant even afford shoes for yourself. But they explain that the shoes are at an affordable price.
Months later your business is thriving. You have more income, your household has more income and everyone has a pair of shoes on their feet.
Funds2org
“Shoes collected during Funds2Orgs shoe drive fundraisers are used to start and maintain micro-enterprises in developing nations. Individuals repurpose and sell the gently worn, used and new shoes, offering financial support and sustainability for themselves and their families.”
The shoes go to countries like Haiti and India.
So as I am sure you’ve heard..
I have partnered up this this organization to help fund my mission trip, the World Race! (To find out more about the World Race please check out my blog $20,361). So while collecting shoes I am also able to get funded for my trip. I love this fundraiser because instead of asking people for just money, it allows me to ask them for their unwanted shoes. Its basically missions work to go on a mission trip.
I am conducting this drive until June and am more than willing to meet up with you to collect the shoes. I can take all types of shoes, only pairs, mens, womens, childrens..seriously there are no limitations (except for roller blades and ice skates, which is kind of self explained).
Thank you for your support and for reading.
Please consider donating.
Post any questions in the comments.
Or you can contact me by email: [email protected]
