Every year the Classy Awards recognize the most innovative and impactful social programs in the world. This blog series highlights each initiative and show the breadth of social innovation genius and passion by spotlighting each of the ten winners of the 2017 Classy Awards. In this post I present the non-profit organization Because International and their first program, The Shoe That Grows.
The Shoe That Grows
Here’s the thing: You don’t need to be based out of New York, Washington DC, Paris, Toronto, or another of the world’s biggest cities to start a social innovation and make an impact. Because International is headquartered in Nampa, Idaho. Founder and executive director Kenton Lee started the non-profit in 2009 to help those living in extreme poverty better their everyday lives through practical solutions and product innovations. Kenton calls this approach “practical compassion.”
The Shoe That Grows, a shoe that adjusts and expands its size, is the first product embracing this hands-on approach. The idea was born when Kenton was living and working at an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007. “I was walking to church with all the kids,” he recalled. “I looked down at the little girl in a white dress next to me and was shocked to see that her shoes were way too small. They were so small she had to cut open the front of her shoes to let her toes stick out.”
Over 300 million children don’t have shoes
Why is a shoe that grows in size such a big deal, you might think. The Shoe That Grows website presents the sad truth: Over 2 billion people suffer from soil-transmitted diseases and parasites. They live in areas that do not have adequate sanitation struggling with proper hygiene. Many of these diseases and parasites get into the body because people don’t have shoes.
And it’s not just adults that are struggling. There are over 300 million children who do not have shoes and countless more with shoes that don’t fit. Sometimes kids receive donations of shoes but since their feet grow quickly, they outgrow donated shoes quickly.
The Shoe That Grows solves several problems at once. Since it is expandable to five sizes, it can accommodate a kid’s growing feet so that they always have a proper fitting shoe to walk in. To make sure the shoe is lasting a long time, it is made with the highest quality materials – compressed rubber, anti-bacterial synthetic, and high grade, tactical Velcro. The materials ensure an easy to clean, long-lasting shoe that can protect people’s feet from soil-transmitted diseases.
40,000 pairs of shoes distributed in 2016
In the 2016 Impact Report, Because International shares that their were able to place over 40,000 pairs of The Shoe That Grows on the feet of children and teenagers in over 78 countries in 2016 alone. That means that their feet are better protected leading to improved health and increased attendance at school.
In 2016, Because International partnered with over 100 different nonprofit organizations from around the USA and the world. OM Ships is one of the many partner organizations that is helping distribute The Shoe That Grows as they are providing medical services to people in developing countries on their medical ships. OM Ships has purchased almost 4,000 pairs of The Shoe That Grows since 2014 – with 1,500 pairs in 2016.
Carry The Future is a new organization that was founded in response to the refugee crisis in Syria. In a joint campaign, Carry The Future and Because International were able to raise enough money to buy more than 2,000 pairs of shoes, which Because International had promised to match shoe-for-shoe up to 2,000 pairs. In the end, a total of more than 4,000 pairs were going to kids in a refugee camp in Greece.
A TEDx talk about practical compassion
In a TEDx talk in Boise, Kenton Lee shared what he means by practical compassion: “It’s the small things that make a big difference. And you don’t have to become a viral sensation and raise millions of dollars to make a big difference.”
He told the story of his neighbor Jerry, who is retired and lives alone. One day a neighbor lady from down the street asked if he could help her do some grocery shopping since she didn’t have a car and couldn’t carry heavy items. Since then, Jerry has been helping that lady with her groceries, other errands, and tasks around the house. Today, Jerry and his neighbor even watch TV together and enjoy their companionship. “That’s an example of practical compassion,” said Kenton.
To find out more about Because International and The Shoe That Grows, visit their website at becauseinternational.org
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