Shoes of Africa

I adore shoes. I am obsessed with them and I probably own way too many. I buy them way too often and take the for granted way too much.
When I was in Uganda my opinion on shoes changed, drastically.

Not thinking, I brought a few pairs of cute-not practical shoes to Uganda. I spent almost every day in Uganda wearing a black {now red with dirt} pair of converse, the sandals below or some old Gray TOMS. 

In Uganda, to have a pair of shoes is a LUXURY. Can you imagine? I have 40 pairs of shoes in my closet and these children are lucky to have two mismatched shoes that are torn to pieces. My heart broke with each pair of bare little feet I saw as I walked through the streets. 

Shoes are such a big deal. Without shoes these children are opened up to all kinds of diseases and parasites that can get into their feet. Some of the parasites/diseases can cause these children to lose their feet/legs or even die. THAT is how incredibly important shoes are! It's a sad reality. 

One thing to know about me, I LOVE Toms. I wear TOMS all the time and I love what TOMS does even more. For every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need somewhere around the world. Awesome, right? Now, not to say I didn't believe this buy a pair, give a pair deal. I did. I loved looking through pictures of sweet children with new shoes that supported their feet and kept them safe. LOVED it.  

But, I honestly never thought I would see TOMS in the middle-of-nowhere, Uganda. never. So, you can imagine my surprise and JOY when I saw a tiny little girl, walking with me to get water wearing a black pair of TOMS. my heart leapt! How exciting, I thought. A little girl in Uganda is now wearing a GOOD pair of shoes that will protect her feet and keep her safe. It is such a relief for these children and parents too. Unimaginable. 

Her shoes were by far the best shoes of any child I saw while in the village that day. She was a beautiful darling little girl who I am so blessed to have hugged, loved, and painted her finger nails. 

I am constantly overwhelmed with the amazing God I serve and the amazing LOVE He has for the child-for the Orphan. 

Now, go buy a pair of TOMS and give a pair to a darling little one somewhere around the World. If you can't do that, pray for these children, for these people and for the ones who are not as fortunate as you and don't have the luxury of a pair of shoes.