CYCU Raise Old Shoes for Spreading Love to Kenya

Students of CYCU environmental Service-Learning courses worked with Step 30 International Ministries to raise used shoes in school and send these shoes to Africa after sorting them out. (Photographed by Lai Yu-Wei)

Students of CYCU “environmental Service-Learning courses” worked with “Step 30 International Ministries” to initiate the “Infinity Save Shoes” event in hopes of raising used shoes in school and sending them to Kenya, Africa. So far, a total of 200 pairs of shoes have been raised and the students wish that these shoes may help improve the local chigoe flea problem.

The junior student of CYCU Department of Accounting and also the leader of environmental Service-Learning sector, Yang Kuo-Hung, indicated that the past environmental Service-Learning courses only consisted of cleaning up the campus or community service. Notwithstanding, the students expressed that in addition to achieving the basic mission, they also hoped to engage in the activity benefiting the society by combining the environmental Service-Learning courses.

The senior student of Department of Psychology and also the leader of environmental service sector, Hsu Ya-Han, revealed that the children in Africa had no shoes to wear and the chigoe flea problem got worse increasingly and even resulted in loss of many children’s precious life. The shoes raising event hoped to raise used shoes from the public and send them to Africa to keep the local children from the threat of chigoe flea and parasites to save not only the children’s feet and life but also the children’s dream.

The junior student who donated two pairs of shoes, Cheng Chi-Ni, said that the shoes donated by her were old yet very comfortable, and she hoped to help the children in Africa and contribute something to them. Yang Kuo-Hung and Hsu Yan-Han said that the donated shoes should be kept clean as possible as it could, and the covered shoes, such as leather shoes, pumps, sneakers and sport shoes, snow boots and riding boots, were not suitable ones, as it was very hot locally; further, broken or oxidized slippers and Crocs beach shoes were also not fit for the donation.

They also revealed that after the shoes were sent to Africa, the local residents would have to collect garbage to exchange for the shoes. This condition was intended to keep their dignity, because the shoes were not given without charge and the students also hoped them to clean the local environment and make the local life better.

According to CYCU, the “Step 30” event was primarily initiated by the Carpenter’s House of Zhongli District and the preacher, Yang Yu-Jen, who served as the English teacher and tutor for juveniles in CYCU Campus Christian Church. Both of them saw that the people in Kenya, Africa didn’t wear shoes but contacted the garbage and bacteria on the ground directly and, therefore, suffered the fatal danger. Then, they initiated the rescue operation to communicate the needs.

Source: http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20171206000535-260107