Shoes For Africa

Typical morning:

• wake up
• get ready for work
• get dressed
• pick out what pair of shoes to wear 

For most of us, this is what our typical "getting ready" routine is like day after day. I am sure if you are like me, you own many pairs of shoes- flip flops, sandals, tennis shoes, heels, flats and if you are married, you may double the amount of shoes in your closet. I know for me and Nate, our shoes come in a variety of styles, brands, shapes, and colors.

However, not everyone around the world has the same luxury we do to just walk to a closet to pick out their favorite pair of shoes. There are many children and adults that wake up in the morning with only the clothes on their backs, no clean water, and have never owned a pair of shoes. These children walk, play, and work in harsh conditions with no shoes on their feet. Both Nate and I have seen this firsthand in different countries where we have been.

Oftentimes, these feet become the entry point for diseases and parasites. In remote villages in Africa, children's feet become affected by jiggers, which are parasites that enter the feet and without treatment, can eventually cause serious infection, paralysis, loss of limbs, or eventually claim lives. This semester, the church community group that we lead decided to do something different and take on a global ministry project to make shoes for children in Uganda and Zambia through an organization called Sole Hope.

Sole Hope was founded by a Christian couple whose hearts were stirred after seeing a video about this problem in Uganda and how shoes could help prevent the sickness many children were experiencing. In visiting Africa, the saw first-hand the medical issues that orphans were experiencing and observed the needs that widows were facing just trying to provide for their children. They were moved and knew they must do something tangible. From this vision, Sole Hope was founded.  Sole Hope seeks to teach widows the trade of shoe making, providing them with materials, training and jobs and in turn allowing them to make shoes to provide to orphans and children in their communities.  By meeting a physical need, it opens a door for them to the meet spiritual needs of those they serve on mission trips and through their ministry.


(Watch the following video to learn more)

So what was our part in this project? Sole Hope encourages groups to host a "shoe making party" where you purchase materials, gather your friends, and trace and cut patterns given by Sole Hope. 

Sole Hope uses every day materials as well as recyclable materials as part of their shoes. Tires are used to make the sole of the shoe and milk jugs or plastic bottles are used as part of the heel reinforcement.

Tracing Milk Jug for Heel Reinforcement

An every day pair of jeans are cut into patterns to help provide additional support to the shoe. 

Groups are encouraged to sponsor each pair of shoes for $10. This amount goes to provide a fair wage to a widow being taught the trade of shoe-making as well as provides support to ship the materials each group has cut out and prepped for the final step that will be completed by widows in Africa. Groups can also sponsor shoes, even if they don't host a shoe-cutting event.

Tracing The Materials and Cutting out Shoe Parts

Heel Patches and Milk Jugs Traced to Reinforce Heels

Our group had a great time working together to trace, cut, and prepare items for the shoes that would then be sent to Africa and sewn by widows.

Several hours and 150 material pieces later, we had completed 15 pair of shoes and as a group, had sponsored over 20 pairs of shoes.

 At the end of the night, we gathered as a group to pray for the orphans that would receive these shoes and the widow's hands that would sew them. 

During our project, we used scrap material and were able to use even the smallest scraps to make parts of the shoe. The insignificant pieces that many would have just thrown aside, we were able to take and make something beautiful of.  This is a visual,  yet tangible, reminder that if we are willing to see the little things in people, take time for children or adults that others may have ignored or cast aside- God just might use those little moments and turn them into something beautiful and useful for His glory.