A child cannot walk today because of jiggers burrowed into his feet. It is painful. It is debilitating. It breaks my heart. But what can I, an ocean away, do to help?

Sole Hope is an incredible organization that has developed a fabulous service opportunity for people who want to help children in Uganda. You can donate money and medical supplies, you can collect supplies at your school or church, you can even volunteer at the Sole Hope house in Uganda, or you can host a shoe party! I hosted a shoe party for our Sunday school class moms and daughters and it was so much fun! We had food, fellowship, and a beautiful time together cutting out pattern pieces for shoes. All you need are old jeans, markers, safety pins, patterns, scissors, and a can-do attitude!

Why shoes?

Because in Uganda, the people are plagued by jiggers. A flea that burrows into feet and lays thousands of eggs, causing very painful blisters, swelling, and infection. The only way to remove them is by digging out the eggs, multiple times till there are no more, with a sharp instrument such as a thorn or pin. Because the objects are not always cleaned well between people, this leads to the spread of diseases like HIV/Aids.

By supporting Sole Hope and cutting out shoes from donated jeans, you are helping to put shoes on the feet of these precious children. People in Uganda are trained, paid a fair wage, and employed to make the shoes which are then given to the children at medical clinics after their feet have been cleaned, jiggers removed, and bandaged.

When I got our shoe party kit, I opened it up, read the packet, then opened the shoe pattern we were sent for our party. It was a toddler size 13. The same size Mr. T wears now. I cried. Just thinking about how his precious feet could be the ones needing shoes, how he might not be able to walk for the pain, how he could be robbed of his joy by such a tiny insect.  And it broke my heart. Let’s help get shoes on these precious and beautiful children’s feet!

Contact Ashley at Sole Hope to find out how you can help or to host a shoe party of your own.

Learn more about Sole Hope by watching the video below, hosting your own Sole Hope party, or donating.