 Team Reports |
Walk a Mile in Their ShoesJanice Gillespie — Mississauga, ON
During a distribution we have to seat the children and position them for the bedkit photos. As I was telling them, "Miguu pamoja, magoti pamoja, mikono kwa magoti," (Feet together, knees together, hands on knees.) I couldn't avoid focussing on their footwear. It was winter in Kenya during our June distribution, yet some children arrived barefoot. Others wore foot coverings ranging from plastic flip flops, to shoes, to rainboots – many without closures, most severely worn through, often not even close to the correct size. We all admired how one little girl, about six years old, managed to walk quite happily through our circuit in a one-strap sandal that would have been much too large for most of us. Our driver explained that this is often the case as shoes are donated to churches by many Kenyans and the children are happy to receive whatever is available, whether they fit or not. I began to wish I could walk with some of these children for a day to observe their footwear in action. We saw people cleaning their shoes in sewage water in the early morning to remove the heavy Kenyan soil. Most students in Kijabe, an area with a very long steep winding hill near the school, had to walk up to six kilometers to school. When we left Kijabe hours after a luncheon and hospital tour, we saw children carrying their bedkits home up the hill.
On another day, we were honoured to be invited to the home of Boniface, a bedkit recipient from last year who lives in the Mathare slum, the second largest in sub Sahara Africa. He proudly showed us his mattress, mosquito net, and blanket: precious possessions for this loving family that had so little. As he led us out, I became aware of the uneven ground covered with loose rocks and stone that formed the narrow alleyways between the rows of slum housing. One can only imagine the treacherous walking, especially during the rainy season. These alleys were also play areas and the route to outdoor toilets and cooking areas. My mind wandered back to the unfastened ill-fitting tattered footwear I had seen and I wondered how many twisted ankles must occur. The children travel to school rain or shine, do their lessons, and play sports – usually soccer — in the same shoes. The Canadian concept of an extra pair of shoes for indoors or gym is unheard of here.
Fortunately, on a SCAW distribution we focus on the joyful faces of the children as we get them to "Cheka," (Smile.) for the photos. They are so excited to see us arrive and greet us with warmth and enthusiasm. They are certainly not thinking of their footwear as they hoist their bedkit on top of their heads and start off for the long trek home to "la la Viema," (sleep well) thanks to the generosity of Sleeping Children's donors. |
