Those shoes you don’t want or need any longer, or those your children have outgrown, could make a real difference to the lives of some of Haiti’s hundreds of thousands of homeless people. Don’t throw out unwanted shoes: Donate them to a good cause instead.
Local NGO A Thousand Pairs of Little Shoes, a one-woman charity founded by Renata Kecskes, is collecting unwanted and unused shoes at various drop-off points around Grand Cayman. Collections continue until 12 April.
The organisation is primarily collecting children’s shoes although larger sizes will also be accepted. These shoes will then be taken to Haiti and distributed to orphanages.
Mission Haiti began on 12 January,marking the second anniversary of the earthquake that left millions in and around Haiti’s capital without shelter or sanitation. Conditions remain desperate in Haiti and through this mission A Thousand Pairs of Little Shoes aims to remind people that Haiti still needs help.
Why shoes?
The leading cause of disease in developing countries across the world is soil
transmitted parasites, which penetrate the skin through open sores. The World Health Organisation estimates that close to 3 billion people worldwide are affected by these parasites. Those most affected are the poorest populations often living in remote, rural areas, urban slums or in conflict zones. A simple pair of shoes is enough to prevent such infections in many cases.
A Thousand Pairs of Little Shoes asks that donated shoes be clean and pairs sealed in a ZipLoc bag for ease of sorting.
Drop off points are as follows:
Until 12 March: St. Ignatius School and Marriott Beach Resort 12 March to 12 April: Havaianas store, George Town
For more information on the A Thousand Pairs of Little Shoes visit www.tplskenya.com
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