I believe it’s the small things that make us happy and help us achieve big things, small things that bring us comfort like shoes. Look at it this way; if you had to dig, walk miles to school or the well wouldn’t you feel better if you had comfortable shoes knowing that you cannot possibly do anything about the bigger problems?

There are many dangers of walking bare foot, some known others unknown, some common others rare but nevertheless they are still dangers and they include:-

• Hookworm infection: One can get the hookworm parasite into their bodies when their skins come into contact with animal feaces, this parasite attacks the lungs and small intestine, causes abdominal pain, itchy rush, blood in stool, intestinal cramps, etc.

• Tetanus: There are all these broken bottles, rusty nails laying everywhere yet one can never tell. So if it were to cut this village child who has never got tetanus vaccination and whose guardian lacks money for modern medicine and may therefore just apply herbs to the wound, how can this child fail to get tetanus?

• Jigger infestation: Daily Monitor, a newspaper in Uganda stated that 6 million people are at the risk of getting infected with 2.4 million already infected. Jiggers have been referred to as a silent killer because they lead to secondary infections like tetanus, they can also cause severe disability and death.

• Heel pain: The heel cracks due to over walking bare foot and these cracks keep getting bigger and bigger then develop into wounds which wounds would later get infected putting the life of these children in danger.

Look at it this way; if you had to dig, walk miles to school or the well wouldn’t you feel better if you had comfortable shoes knowing that you cannot possibly do anything about the bigger problems?

The parents and guardians of these children for different reasons say poverty, fail to provide shoes for these children  and for others shoes are a luxury they can live without not with the many children under their care that are in need of food, school fees and other essentials. To them if the child can go to school then that is good enough. What most of them do not know, not that they can help it, is that the physical health of a child is in all ways related to their mental health, achieve one and the other will be guaranteed.

BaNgaAfayo with the help of our sponsors provided 30 pairs of school shoes and 60 pairs of casual shoes that are mostly helpful when these children are digging or going to fetch water. Still there is need for more shoes seeing that we only provided for a few. Also these are growing children and soon the shoes will fit no more, not forgetting that they wear out.

Show you Care! We can do more together…