Shoes for Life

Beyond Poverty: The Jigger Crisis.

Jiggers are a parasitic flea that burrows under the skin and builds a nest there, most commonly attacking peoples hands and feet. They pose a tremendous threat to impoverished people in east Africa. The best way to prevent jigger problems are health and hygiene education, ensuring a clean environment and simply putting on shoes. However it's very difficult for many east Africans to afford shoes when the average daily income is only $2USD and there is a severe lack of resources and infrastructure.

Beyond Collecting Shoes: We Do More for the Community

Distribution Donation

Shoes for Life collects second-hand shoes and clothes in Taiwan and ships them in containers across 10,000 km to impoverished areas. These items are distributed to local institutions and residents. The protective function of shoes helps prevent sand flea infestations.

Jigger project

Local social workers are trained to form medical teams, purchasing medical kit supplies locally. They enter schools and villages to provide both health education and treatment. Each patient is registered, and the teams conduct follow-ups by visiting villages regularly.

Nyumba Nzuri

Step30 empowers local youth in Africa to form flooring construction teams that help rural families install safe, clean floors. Using eco-friendly chemical materials and natural building methods, the cost is about half that of traditional cement flooring. By replacing dusty, parasite-ridden dirt floors with clean, solid ones, the project tackles jigger infestations at their root.

The Impact We Create Together

3,330,000

beneficiaries of humanitarian aid

70,037

beneficiaries of jigger treatment