SHOES FOR TOMORROW . . . OR MAYBE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS!!

Just a forewarning: this may or may not be a happy post. I have consumed a lot of time with the TOMS project over the last 3 weeks. I have been working with my friend Kevin to finish a 14 page application that must be submitted to TOMS shoes company for approval. We are requesting from TOMS 170,000 pairs of shoes to be distributed to Uganda within the next year, hopefully in time for the next HELP International team in April. It is NO SMALL task filling out the paperwork and with good reason because there are a lot of logistics to assess and many problems we must have solutions for.

-We had to first talk about our organization as HELP International and give NGO verification, determine who we are going to give the shoes to and why. Last years team did assessments of over 200 schools and we believe we will be using that data. We also have met with several NGO partners to see if they would like to be a part of the distribution once we get the shoes. It takes several hours that turn in to several days that turn into several week . . . to meet and solidify partnership.
-We have also visited several sites (local villages) where we would like to distribute shoes, to assess their needs and to document cases of jiggers. We have to assess and gather data at the different distribution sites as well as give a 10% sample of the shoes sizes needed.
-We study various reasons why Uganda is in need of shoes and document severe cases to prove our point.
-In order to get the shoes shipped to Uganda and not have to pay a lot of money for taxes, it is best that HELP International as an NGO has duty-free status. First off, because HELP is not IN country year round we are not registered IN Uganda as an NGO nor do we have duty-free status because of such. I have met with the Minister of Finance several times to discuss how we can best reach duty-free status as an organization. Basically we are unable to obtain such a thing as Uganda no longer allows for this. (This way they make more money on shipments, which is hard because its for Humanitarian aid, but money is money here). Through many back roads we decided to partner with a local registered NGO we have already been doing outreach with, FREDAfrica, and we are currently in the process of filling out all of the necessary paperwork to take to the Minister of Finance to achieve duty-free status for them. In talking to another NGO, Noah's Ark Ministry (an AMAZING orphanage in Mukono) we spoke with the head person Peit and he has agreed to store our shoes at his site. He is originally from Holland and has been running his work in Uganda for 15 years. He has a definite dooms day approach to the government and the culture here and has repeatedly told us that we will not achieve duty-free status. Basically, the government no longer provides NGOs with duty-free status, and in rare cases where they do, the organization will end up paying the taxes regardless.

So . . . now what?

I think I ask myself that question a million times a day doing development work here in Uganda. It is a long and grueling process and God must really think my patience is lacking! And trust me, it is!

We are still working on getting the paperwork for FREDAfrica done so that we can take it to the Minister of Finance in Kampala. We had to organize some bios for their website to show that we have a legitimate partnership with them if they ever become investigated.

We are meeting with the MP tomorrow in Kampala to make sure we have the paperwork correct and then we will go from there I suppose. The best we can do is meet with one of the Ministers of Education or Health to see if they will cover the cost of tax under their budget seeing that is would benefit the education and health of Ugandans. Such a messy process!

Once we get a better assessment of where we are at with the whole tax thing, we will submit the paperwork to TOMS and see if we are even approved to have the shipment of shoes sent!

I am also working with HELP's headquarters to set up a possible TOMS internship for next years team. If we get the shoes and the tax crap figured out, the distribution process will be a whole other ball game. It sounds complicated to say the least, and it is, but I believe so much in getting more Ugandans shoes and here is why:

Part of our request from the TOMS application:

1. What are the specific needs for the shoes requested? Provide detailed descriptions for each that applies:

a. Disease prevention (list diseases individually, and explain how shoes will help)

Hookworms are a major problem in many rural communities in Uganda. Most people use squat toilet latrines which tend to be extremely unsanitary, especially when people are barefoot and already have cuts on their feet. Because of the urine and fecal matter which can be all around the squat toilet latrines, hookworms can easily enter the body through the soles of feet through minor cuts. These problems could be easily prevented if people wore shoes while using the latrines.

b. Other health impacts

Jiggers, or Chigoe fleas, are often found in tropical climates, such as Uganda. They tend to live in soil and dirt, thus making them easily transmittable to impoverished children who live in unsanitary conditions, sleeping on dirt floors, and sharing living quarters with chickens and other domestic animals. Jiggers cause itching and pain, but are most dangerous because they can lead to severe inflammation, fibrosis, ulceration, lymphangitis, and gangrene, which can cause death. Through education about jiggers and if the children had shoes, jiggers could be easily prevented and treated.

c. School attendance

Children with jiggers often find it nearly impossible to walk to school due to the pain and itching. Many children actually end up dropping out of school because of the problem. In an article published last year in IPS Africa, Michael Wambi states:

“According [to] the national Department of Education, only 20 percent of pupils who enroll for primary education end up completing Grade 7, the highest level in Uganda’s primary education. Although the department does not have statistics on how many children drop out of school due to jiggers, it acknowledges that the sand fleas are a key contributor to the problem in rural areas. Some education experts believe the flea epidemic is actually hindering the country from achieving Millennium Development Goal 2 of achieving universal primary education by 2015.” http://www.ips.org/africa/2010/10/uganda-sand-fleas-neglected-threat-to-primary-education/

Not only this, but many children drop out of school due to the stigmatism placed on those with jiggers. The same article states:

“Eight-year-old Derick Ntalo from Mayuge district in Uganda’s east is one of the many jigger-infected pupils who refuses to go to school because he feels discriminated by his peers. ‘The teacher and the other children are laughing at me,’ he explains why he dropped out of Grade 3 eight months ago. Local government councillor Charles Mukiibi confirms that absenteeism at schools is high because of the stigma attached to the epidemic: ‘The children are teased because they keep on itching their hands and feet in class and cannot concentrate.’ He believes many more children would be attending primary school in eastern Uganda, if the health department would bring the epidemic under control.”

- Note: are shoes required for school attendance in this country? If so, is a specific color/style required?

It is not required for children to wear shoes to school; however, some schools that do have a dress code usually do require black shoes.

d. As an incentive to participate in another program or activity

Because jigger infestations are so highly stigmatized, it is important that this problem is addressed and solved. Shoes would help prevent jiggers, which would consequently help children to have more self confidence with their peers. With increased self esteem, children would be more likely to not only participate in school, but also extracurricular activities, such as sports.

e. Additional impacts

If we are able to simply prevent jiggers by providing shoes, we hope that can ensure education to better the lives of children and their future families.

2. Do you already collect baseline data on any of the impacts listed above (e.g. school attendance, disease prevalence, etc)? If so, please list which areas you already collect data in.

For the past two years, we have collected data from many schools throughout the Mukono District on school attendance, enrollment, test scores, and teacher attendance. Furthermore, we have collected data on the number of children with and without shoes from many schools throughout the area in which we plan to distribute shoes. We have also been able to photograph cases of jigger and foot disease that we have encountered for documentation purposes.

More than anything, you are someone here if you have a pair of shoes on your feet. Status means a lot to Ugandans and I want them to be a proud and confident people, I just want to live to see it happen. This project feels endless, but I really hope it will happen sooner than later. Patience, patience, patience.

I am busy on other projects as well and will start to downsize on the time I spend with the TOMS project. I am leaving again to the Buvuma Island next week to do HIV education, testing, and grief counseling. I am trying to better use our time their by focusing on one topic this time rather than the four we taught the last time we visited. I am nervous to do HIV testing because it is such a heavy topic and an ugly disease. I am currently in the process of setting up logistics for the trip itself, gather the necessary resources (education tools, HIV testing kits, and condoms) and I also need to find a volunteer medical professional to assist us. I would hate for anything to go wrong or to misdiagnose. Definitely not an issue where there is room for ANY error.

In the meantime I am deciding whether or not I will be going on the 3 day safari with some of the team this weekend. . . I really want to go, but I need to make sure I can get everything done.

Lastly, I am in contact with a few orphanages where I hope to spend my last couple of days here. I have really loved the children here and want to go out with a boom! I hope I can make all of this happen!

Does anyone have any patience and time they want to lend me?!?!