Remember me telling you that the bloggers conference I went to last month had so many worthwhile sponsors? We walked from table to table, hearing stories and gathering information, so that, as writers, we could DO something–blog, give, share, go. I came home from Allume, so overwhelmed by all the things I couldn't do, that I temporarily forgot about that things I could. Girl, Boy, Girl's "Worthwhile Wednesdays" was born out of that movement.
Sole Hope is an organization I have heard some chatter about over the last year or so. The abbreviated story is this: An American couple with young children were pursuing their careers when they came across a You Tube video about jiggers, sub saharan sand fleas that live in the dirt floors in many schools and homes in Uganda and other similar climates. The jiggers burrow into exposed feet, lay eggs, and multiply, causing great pain and making it difficult to walk, play, or attend school. There is a social stigma around jiggers, leading victims to hide the problem, only making it worse.
When the Collie family realized that the common sense solution was to put closed toed shoes on children so the jiggers couldn't burrow, Sole Hope was founded. This organization is improving the lives of people throughout Uganda by doing something as simple as making shoes, and we can help in a practical way!
Hosting a shoe cutting party for a your friends and family during the holidays is a great excuse to have a big ol' crowd over to your house AND give back meaningfully. You purchase a kit for $15, invite ten friends over to your home (children can do this too!), and ask all your guests to bring a pair of old jeans, some fabric scissors, and $10.
(Photography by Kim DeLoach)
Pack your party with snacks and goodies around a Thanksgiving table or Christmas tree and voila! In no time, you've cut out patterns to be sent to Africa where a tailor will cobble them into shoes ($10 from guests will pay for shipping and fair labor wages for the tailors). I will be ordering a kit for my family to use at Thanksgiving and. . .I'll be ordering an extra kit to give away! Post a comment about Sole Hope on my blog or on Facebook and be entered to win. I'll pick a winner this Friday 11/14 at noon and will get your kit ordered and sent.
Also, remember that Sole Hope is now one of the featured organizations who may receive the profits from my Clothing and Accessories Sale this Saturday, 11/15. Worthwhile Wednesdays will continue through early December after which time, I'll be asking for you to vote for which organization will receive the proceeds of the sale.
You can follow Sole Hope on Instagram at #solehope or on their blog, www.solehope.org/blog.
Now, go plan a shoe cutting party!
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