Imagine growing up without a pair of shoes to call your own. Imagine that have to walk miles every time you go to school, every time you need medical help, or even every time you want water. If facing the daily risk of cuts, infection, and parasites wasn’t enough, you may not even be allowed to attend school based simply on the fact that you can’t afford footwear. This is a reality for children living all around our planet.
On April 8th, students at Lipscomb University barefootedly joined forces with over 125,000 students from around the nation for TOMS One Day Without Shoes 2010. Their purpose? To raise awareness for these children and shine light on the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life.
TOMS takes an interesting approach to their business. Through their One for One policy, they take the purchasing power of consumers to give one free pair of shoes to a child somewhere in the world for every pair of TOMS shoes purchased.
If you missed out on One Day Without Shoes, there are still ways you can get involved. You can start by spreading the word. Share the facts with your friends:
Fact #1:In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help.
Fact #2:Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
Fact #3:Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
Fact #4:In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
Fact #5: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing shoes.
The solution to each of these problems is simple - giving a pair of shoes.
To learn more about TOMS and their work around the globe, feel free to visit their blog!
