Katie Heller Shoes makes impact on families…

REPORT REFERENCE: TGT 35051

Distribution was done by means of traveling to various Town, villages, and communities to distribute the Katie Heller Shoes to the needy kids. Along these distributions we were able to ask some parents of the kids whom benefited from the distribution; as to, why is it that Katie Heller Shoes so important for them? What benefit will they gain from wearing it? And what impact will it make on their lives?

We carryout Katie Heller Shoes distribution at Jawejeh Town, located along the Bomi County Highway, mainly in the Po River’s area. This Town consists of more children, teenage mothers and more youth in general. Most people in this town survive my means of farming. The economic situation in this town is deplorable; they have no good road, and no better living area. Children in this town struggle to afford their daily needs (like that of, good clothes, shoes, proper education and food).

On our regular donation at Jawejeh Town, we saw many kids with no shoes on their feet, while others had very old slippers. Some of them had torn up clothes also. The GCVMI-ICF Donation team, distributed some clothes, food and Katie Heller Shoes. During the Katie’s Shoes distribution, we give some children shoes, sanders, sneakers, etc… we saw that they were very happy, they never stop smiling. Their parents were also happy for such donation, they appreciated Katie’s shoes a lot.

From right to left: SAM is wearing a red basketball shirt, BOIMA is wearing a big gray t-shirt with blue sneakers, CHRIS is wearing red t-shirt with his hands pointed up, PETER is wearing a red torn up t-shirt, while BOIKAI in wearing a blue t-shirt with sneakers in his hands pointing upwards and JEREMIAH is wearing a blue t-shirt with “number 2” writing on it.

Among those many children that benefited from the distribution of Katie Heller Shoes, we were able to ask some parents and children as to, how they felt about the shoes? One of the children parents we ask was, Musu, Peters’ mother. According to her she said that, “the slipper we give Peter was the first slippers he had worn his entire life.” She further stresses that, “We (Peter Family) don’t have enough money to buy food always, then how can we buy clothes, slippers and even shoes? Things are very difficult here so we need to keep money to buy food and have them fed. I know he needs slippers, because all his legs is full with sow (rashes),” She couldn’t stop explain how important it was to have Peter in those slippers. Later she glows with smiles and praise the ICF for making her son happy, because he had always wanted to have at least one pair slipper to wear but she couldn’t afford until the distribution.

Another person we talk was the mother of Boikai and Boima, Ma Hawa. She was very happy; according to her she was worried about Christmas. Every year during Christmas in Liberia, parents usually buy clothes and shoes for their children. But this year, Ma Hawa said that “I am grateful for the shoes distributed because I don’t have money to buy my children Christmas clothes or sneakers and it was really worrying me, as to, what I can do to make my children happy! But with these sneakers given to them, I can see that they are already happy, I just need to cook for them. Thank you very much for your kind help”

Also when I ask Sam as to what he was going to do with his shoes, he told me that, “I have been carrying slippers to school ever since, I will carry my new shoes to school Monday.” He was so happy and we were excited too. The donation was going on well-organized until people kept coming and then our donation was disrupted because more people were in need of the items and we couldn’t control the crowd, so we had to leave.

The GCVMI-ICF Donation Team moved to another poor community in the G4, Parker Corner, and distributed Katie’s Heller Shoes and Manna Pack Potato. The children of this community were very excited and they kept yelling with joy. We didn’t know who their parents was, or where their parents lived but we had fun together and made friends with them.

From left to right: Jebbeh is the girl with no shirt on, Abraham is the boy who is yelling with boots in his hand, Baby D and Jartu is the boy (in red t-shirt) and his sister (in blue trousers) that stands right behind Abraham; Musa is wearing brown t-shirt and blue jeans, one sneakers in his hand and the other on his right feet.

When we were carrying out the distribution we notice that Jebbeh came to us but she was very shy to come around because she didn’t have any shirt or slippers on her feet. It was in that time when we took notice of her; we called her out and give her one of the Katie’s Heller Shoes. She begin to smile and glow with great joy from within. She was very happy, though she barely has conversation with us but all she did was to keep being happy for her new sneakers.

Another person was Abraham who was helping us to share the Katie’s Heller Shoes; he knows most of the children in the community, so kept identifying them as we distribute the shoes (to avoid more kids having more shoes illegally then their friends having none). He was so excited to help, but when the distribution was almost done, he didn’t have any shoes for himself, he begins to worry, he lost his smiles that he had from the beginning. We asked him, “Abraham why are you not happy?” he told us that, he was put out of school because he didn’t had black sneakers or shoes to carry and his parents couldn’t afford to buy him one, and he is helping to give shoes out and he still don’t have any… We help find him black sneakers and also give him a boot for the rain. Abraham got too excited again! He started to run all over the place singing and yelling. He full with joy until he couldn’t just stop singing.

Also Baby D and his sister came along, Baby D make sure he found himself a larger size sneakers first before looking for his sister (Jartu) shoes. When we ask Baby D as to, why is he taking bigger shoes for him and his sister? He said something that made us laugh but it was very sorrowful and serious. He said that, “his mom have no money to buy him shoes or even sneakers, but he loved sneakers, especially when he sees them on his friends feet, but he never had an opportunity to enjoy wearing one. That is why he want to take the bigger size so that he can use his sneakers for a very long time, as he grows his sneakers will still fit him.” And for his little sister, “he will loved to see her in sneakers every day, so she is going to use her own sneakers that we give her and she is going to grow up to used his sneakers too.

Distribution was too exciting at the G4, Parker Corner Community. Lots and lots of kids had their smiles back on their faces and the team could feel the joy of helping humanity. Most of the kids were happy and their dreams came to reality. Like Musa also got the white sneakers his school requested and we are sure that his parents will be happy too! There are lot more of those kids that experience the joy and Thanked God!