One Day Without Shoes: Taking Steps to Help Children in Poverty

As a kid, I always knew one of the first signs of summer was being able to go barefoot – racing across the hot concrete to the community pool (oh wait, no running allowed!) or curling my toes around the soft grass in our yard. Plus, I could do most of my favorite things, like climbing trees, more easily without my shoes. They were primarily considered a nuisance … best left in my bicycle basket and only slipped on for the long ride home. Of course, these were simple pleasures I enjoyed as a child in the U.S., long after I had returned home from a stint as a missionary kid in Africa.

When my family lived in Madagascar, it was a different story. My mother, a registered nurse, would never have dreamed of letting me or my siblings go anywhere without shoes. There were too many dangers, such as risks of infections or parasites. When I asked her about it recently, my mom texted back that she was worried about us getting hookworm, a nasty little beast that was present in the soil and would burrow into the skin, typically into feet. (And she also reminded me to call her. Preferably soon.)

Most children in developing countries don’t have the same choice when it comes to shoes. If they have shoes, they will wear them. But for the majority who don’t, infections caused from parasites in the soil can be dangerous – even lethal. And at the very least, going without shoes can cause injuries and possibly hinder children from being able to go to school.

If you are wearing shoes right now, even if they aren’t your favorites, take a moment to appreciate how life-changing they are.

We take it seriously here at Children International. Every year, we raise funds for our antiparasite initiative, and we are an official Giving Partner with TOMS, working together to facilitate the distributions of new shoes to sponsored children.

TOMS is a company that was founded on a simple idea: For every pair of shoes purchased, they would give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. They have now expanded to provide additional health, educational and economic opportunities to impoverished countries around the world. Recently, a group of TOMS employees visited several CI community centers in Guatemala where they witnessed firsthand the work we are doing and helped hand out new shoes to children.

Staff members at Children International participate in an annual TOMS event, “One Day Without Shoes.” Believe it or not, going without shoes for even one day is incredibly difficult. This year, the weather was cold and drizzly, so I kept my shoes on when walking across the parking lot (I know, I know). Outside the building was a mini shoeless walk experience, where employees could tread across different surfaces, like rocks, sand and dirt, without shoes. Everything felt cold, wet and uncomfortable, a reminder that this is a reality for so many people in the world. (Just glad we didn’t have to fear parasites, too.)

Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be an issue that is too hopeless to overcome. You can learn more about what you can do and how our sponsored children benefit from our partnership with TOMS (http://www.children.org/toms). And maybe next year’s “One Day Without Shoes” will be “not one more day without shoes” for a child in need.