Seattle Pacific University Brings 300 Shoes to Underprivileged Indians
Seattle Pacific University students brought more than 300 shoes to Delhi, India to help those in need. The students were heading to India in December and decided to do what they could to help. According to the Times of India, “Each one [Seattle Pacific University student] decided to drop their extra clothes and carry the shoes instead. Together, we could manage to bring 300 shoes to Delhi, from where they were transported to Lucknow,” said Anam Zaidi, a psychologist who started a fundraising campaign to buy growing shoes for slum kids.
The shoes are unique “growing” shoes. Unlike typical shoes that need to be replaced every time your foot changes in size, these shoes have adjustable buckles and a strap on the toe that help the shoe expand up to five sizes.
The shoes are an innovation by Kenton Lee of Nairobi, Kenya. He came up with the novel idea while walking to church and noticing a little girl wearing shoes that were too small for her feet. However, the shoes couldn’t have been provided to the 150 needy students studying in NavSrijan, a school for underprivileged children, without the help of Anam Zaidi.
Anam started a fundraising campaign to buy shoes back in April. It all began when she read an article called, Shoe that Grows and decided to take action. She believed that the shoes would help keep kids safe from infections, cuts, and scrapes on their feet from going barefoot. At first, she raised money for 50 shoes and then the U.S. donor made 300 shoes possible.
However, the challenge occurred when she had to figure out how to get the shoes to India, and that’s when Seattle Pacific University students stepped in to help. “We could see the happiness on faces of these little kids, which in turn made us happy,” said Anam.
The SPU students were a part of the Master of Arts in Management Cohort where they chose to study abroad in India to engage with organizational leaders while visiting world heritage and other cultural sites.
About the Author
Kelly Vo
Kelly Vo is a writer who specializes in covering MBA programs, digital marketing, and personal development.
