Excited to announce our partnership with Muday Association, a licensed non-profit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Saving Soles purpose is to provide gently used shoes to kids located in third world countries. As the organization grows, it will also provide basketball courts, equipment and training to these same communities. The shoes are currently being donated by kids and families located in the United States. The program gives donors the unique opportunity to have their individual picture taken with their donated shoes and matched to a picture of the kids receiving those shoes.
Saving Soles also will spread the game of basketball to these third world communities. We want to encourage the sense of health and community through sports. The concept of footwear is foreign to many cultures abroad even after receiving donated shoes. A dedicated activity like basketball will help facilitate a need to wear their donated shoes and grant them a joyous activity in the process.
Local teacher Muday Mitiku had just opened a private preschool named Fresh and Green Academy. Kotebe, located just north of Addis Ababa, is home to more than 300,000 people, most of them living below the country's poverty line. That's saying a lot in a country where most people get by on less than $1,200 per year.
The preschool was a success. However, educating and feeding only the children whose parents could pay the tuition fee left Muday feeling frustrated and sad. There were still so many children were begging on the streets outside of the school.
To learn more visit their website.