Rotary Aurora and TOMS Shoes shoe up little feet
The Rotary Club of Benoni Aurora and their Rotaract Club, in partnership with TOMS Shoes and their South African giving partner, Sesego Cares, has given new pairs of shoes to hundreds of children in the community of Barcelona.
This is part of TOMS Shoes One for One model.
These are new shoes, made for school and play.
They are unisex, slip-on shoes with a sturdy sole and are given in more than 50 countries.
The company is committed to providing shoes to children as they grow, working with their partners to provide new shoes as needed, sometimes as often as every six months.
When the public buys a pair of this brand shoes, you are also helping improve the health, education and well-being of a child.
Once shoes are bought, the business collaborates with their long-term giving partners to distribute the same number of pairs as their customers buy.
They work with partners to place orders for the right sizes, quantities and types of shoes, providing logistical support and first-rate customer service.
These new pairs are sent to their giving partners, who place the shoes directly on children’s feet as part of their broader programmes to help kids and communities.
Believing that giving should not come with hidden costs, TOMS Shoes help cover expenses to transport and distribute the shoes, including freight, vehicle rental and even delivery by donkey.
Their belief is that on their own, shoes have a limited ability to change a life, but when combined with programmes run by giving partners, they can become a powerful tool in helping create opportunities for a better future.
From the health perspective, shoes help protect children’s feet from cuts, infections and diseases.
When children are healthy, they can attend school, fight minor illnesses and grow up to reach their potential.
Providing school uniforms, which often includes shoes, to children that cannot afford them can increase school attendance as shoes are often required for school attendance in many countries.
Their view is that education is the key to mobility and vital to breaking the poverty cycle.
They are also aiming to improve the confidence of children as although it might be less measurable, they believe new shoes instill confidence in children.
Confident kids are more likely to stay in school and contribute to their communities.
Rotarian, Gail Wilson said: “I was totally blown away by the humbling, beautiful experience I had when I was part of the Rotary Club of Benoni Aurora’s handover of 540 pairs of Tom’s shoes to the Barcelona informal settlement (which is controlled by the Martin de Porres volunteers from St Patrick’s church in Benoni).”
“The settlement has no water or electricity, so imagine the joy on the faces of each person as they were made to fit their correct size shoe and keep them on,” said Gail.
She added that the little children also benefited as they were able to stuff the front of the shoes with newspaper so they were not left out.
“The Rotarians and Rotaractors were spontaneously sung too, and made to feel like angels from heaven,” she said.
“What a wonderful experience to give to those in need!”
Additional pairs were left with the volunteers for the school going children on the Saturday.
For more information on contributing to your community, contact The Rotary Club of Benoni Aurora’s Gail Wilson on 082 564 7244 email info@barc.co.za, or view www.facebook.com/benoniaurorarotary.
You can also visit the websites of www.TOMS.com and www. sesegocares.org.za.
