"I am seeking, I am striving,
I am in it with all my heart"
Vincent Van Gogh
It has been 10 years since I had the nerve to think that I could make a difference. While on a trip in a distant land, I came up on kids playing barefooted where broken glass laid like a carpet on the dirt road. With mouth agape, a feeling of despair overtook me and later on I began to notice so many kids with callous heels, wearing flip flops with half the rubber worn away.
"Kids without shoes will not go to school"
"Shoes with holes and broken down heels, will bring shame to the owner"
With those two thoughts I entered the unknown, actually it was a plunge, nothing could stop me until I got this ambitious project off the ground. It did not matter that there were mounds of paperwork to complete to make this official, to keep in steps with governing laws of charitable organizations.
Will power magically propels and I did not fret that there were only few coins in the till, I would not allow anything to deter me. I wanted to give a brand new pair of shoes to the child in need. We have purchased shoes for kids living as far as Haiti and Jamaica; nothing beats the polished look of a kid in school uniform and wearing a pair of clean looking shoes that fits right. We are grooming the next Pele,Messi and Ronaldo, famous soccer stars, through our sponsorship of soccer teams in Colombia, Haiti and South Africa. The kids in Zambia had a smile on their faces, as they stepped out with confidence, with their new shoes on. There are children in The Gambia, waiting for the arrival of their new footwear, which are on the way.
Here at home we "travel" from State to State, through Donors Choose, an online charity organization that allows teachers to submit projects for classrooms in America; hoping to be funded by individual donors, so that their students may have amazing experiences. So cruising through, I read the plea in some of the teacher's notes, as they seek donations.
- "Just a flip flop away from happiness"
- My students need new shoes to fit their feet, so they will be comfortable at school"
- Running towards a better future"
- Making future soccer stars"
- "Get a kid hooked on running"
Who wouldn't want to help the boys who wear cleats with holes in them or the girls who come to PE wearing boots because that's all they have. I also want to add that at each of our shoe distribution event that we throw locally, in our boroughs, we have added two platforms. We are sharing ways to a healthy lifestyle and we are pushing to gain the attention of the children and their parents with ways to help us save the environment.
My gratitude to our supporters who have continued to help us make an impact, this could not happen without you. Cheers to wonderful thoughts!
"From a little spark may burst a mighty flame"
Dante
