Lipscomb University students shed their footwear to join forces with more than 125,000 students from around the nation Thursday for TOMS One Day Without Shoes 2010. The purpose was to raise awareness for the problems of children throughout the world who have no shoes and the problems this can cause.
Photo courtesy toms.com
Imagine what it would be like to go shoeless and walk miles to get to school, to find medical help or even to secure water. In addition to facing the daily risks of cuts, infection, and parasites, such children may not even be allowed to attend school based simply on the fact that you can’t afford footwear. This is a reality for children living all around our planet.
TOMS takes an interesting approach to their business. Through their One for One policy, they take the purchasing power of consumers to give one free pair of shoes to a child somewhere in the world for every pair of TOMS shoes purchased.
If you missed out on One Day Without Shoes, there are still ways you can get involved.
You can start by spreading the word. Share the facts with your friends:
Fact No. 1: In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help.
Fact No. 2: Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
Fact No. 3: Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
Fact No. 4: In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
Fact No. 5: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing shoes.
The solution to each of these problems is simple – giving a pair of shoes.
Photo courtesy toms.com
To learn more about TOMS and their work around the globe, feel free to visit their blog.