What's this all about?
That's because we've pledged to join the ODWS (One Day Without Shoes) event and invites all South Africans to participate in raising awareness for a cause that affects our country as well as the rest of Africa.
ODWS is the day we spread awareness about the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on a child’s life. On April 8th, we ask people to go the day, part of the day or even just a few minutes, barefoot, to experience a life without shoes first-hand, and inspire others at the same time.
While going barefoot in the comfort of our own homes, or on the beach, may be pleasurable and even healthy, this is not the case for the many children who cannot afford shoes and have to go barefoot year round.
It’s Hard Without Shoes
From the ODWS website:
Through everyday encounters with domestic poverty, we are reminded to appreciate having food and shelter, but most of us all but forget about our feet. Food, shelter, AND shoes facilitate life’s fundamentals. Imagine a life without shoes; constantly aware of the ground in front of you, suffering regular cuts and scrapes, tending to infection after each walk, and enduring not only terrain, but heat and cold.
The problem is large, but the solution is simple. Wearing shoes and practicing basic hygiene can prevent both infection and disease due to unsafe roads and contaminated soil. By imagining a life barefoot, we can all contribute to the awareness of these conditions. On April 8th, communities, campuses, organizations, and individuals are banding together to walk barefoot for One Day Without Shoes.
Take a walk with us on April 8th, 2010.
Facts
In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, clean water and to seek medical help.
* Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
* Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
* In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
* Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes.
Join us
We invite you to join us on TODAY and please extend the invitation to all your friends.
Sign up here so we know who is participating with us, and please take a photo of your bare feet and send them to blog@portfoliocollection.com so we can put them up in a gallery of bare feet to be posted later today.
How to Help Kids without Shoes
Need a new pair of shoes? Head on over to the local organisation bobsforgood if you're in SA, or TOMS for international readers - both pledge to give a needy child a pair of shoes for every pair bought by the public via their websites.
