Shoe4Africa
This journal is FRIENDS ONLY.
Comment to be added
imgae credit
It began with a simple act…
In 1995, professional runner, Toby Tanser was living and training in Africa. Though Toby was sponsored by a major sportswear company who provided him with state-of-the-art gear, he saw that many other serious runners in Kenya had no suitable shoes. Immediately, he began giving away his extra sneakers, and passing on his old pairs instead of throwing them out. When runners he'd given shoes to began breaking records and winning medals at important races, he realized that something as small as a single pair of shoes could completely change a person's life. It was then that Toby began reaching out and asking others to donate their own used shoes, and Shoe4Africa was born.
http://www.shoe4africa.org
In Africa, running is the most celebrated sport. The continent is famous for producing most of the world’s top distance runners. African running stars are beloved household names on par with Michael Jordan’s popularity in the United States. Meanwhile, AIDS is a four letter word that even medical professionals refuse to utter. Many US AIDS organizations attempting to promote awareness and testing have found themselves stymied at every turn, as their efforts are met with resistance and suspicion.
Shoe 4 Africa has been uniquely successful in its ability to sidestep many of these pitfalls. Capitalizing upon a nation's love of sports, the organization launched a successful educational outreach program that has become a powerful agent for change. On the sidelines of their wildly popular sporting events, Shoe4Africa provides on-site AIDS testing as well as a platform for some of running’s biggest stars to speak out about HIV/AIDS. At a recent event, 25% of the village of 4,000 lined up for testing! In addition, Shoe4Africa distributed the first ever informational pamphlets printed in the runner’s native language (Kalenjin).
So if you have shoes that you dont need anymore, instead of donating the thriftstore, please consider donating to Shoe4Africa.
You can directly mail your shoes here:
Shoe 4 Africa
c/o Monicah Kiplagat
PO Box 6943
Eldoret, Kenya
Shoes must be sent via AIRMAIL (USPS is the best, most cost-effective method).