Shoe 4 Africa: Shoe Recycling Programs that Save Lives
March 29, 2008
The Shoe 4 Africa running shoe recycling program was born in 1995 when professional runner Toby Tanser was training and living in Africa. Toby observed that serious runners in Kenya owned no adequate running shoes. He, however, was sponsored by a major sportswear company that continually equipped him with leading-edge gear.
Toby donated his used running shoes to Kenyan runners instead of merely throwing them away. And an amazing thing began to happen: The runners wearing donated running shoes began winning medals at big races and breaking records. Toby realized that just one pair of donated used running shoes could totally change a runner’s life—and Shoe 4 Africa was launched.
Shoe 4 Africa has evolved beyond shipping donated used running shoes to Africa. The organization also works on Empowerment, Health and Aids Awareness in Africa.
Although Africa represents only 10 percent of the world’s population, a full 83 percent of AIDS-related deaths worldwide occur in Africa. The average life expectancy of a Kenya resident is only 48 years, and it’s less than 40 years for a Swaziland resident. HIV/AIDS has reached epidemic proportions in Africa.
What’s worse, AIDS awareness in Africa is sorely lacking. For example, the Kalenjin tribe in Kenya, home to most of Kenya’s best runners, previously had zero AIDS awareness information in its native language. But the Shoe 4 Africa shoe recycling program changed all that and distributed a pamphlet in the native tongue.
Shoe 4 Africa also distributes donated used running shoes at races in Africa. Donated used running shoes are raffled off to race participants and even awarded as prizes to race winners. Running is the most celebrated sport in Africa, with most of the world’s topmost distance runners coming from this continent. The Shoe 4 Africa races attract entire communities; the response has been overwhelming, with record-breaking attendance in Kenya, Morocco and Tanzania. The Shoe 4 Africa running shoe recycling program also sponsors several running teams, a running training camp and even a soccer team.
The Shoe 4 Africa running shoe recycling program also provides on-site AIDS testing at its popular races. At one race, a full one-fourth of an entire village lined up for AIDS testing! The races also serve as a platform for many of Africa’s biggest running stars to speak out about AIDS.
The Shoe 4 Africa running shoe recycling program also empowers women by hosting women-only events. In the beginning, races were co-ed, but few women were entering because their husbands told them to stay at home. For example, in one village, 126 men and only four women entered a race. But the women voiced their desire to join a race. The Shoe 4 Africa running shoe recycling program heard their call, held a women-only event—and 2,900 women entered! The Shoe 4 Africa running shoe recycling program also provides full scholarships for young female runners.
To learn more about how you can donate used running shoes to Shoe 4 Africa, visit their website at www.shoe4africa.org.
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