The shoe that grows

IN THE past pupils at Omaungete Mobile School in the Kunene region set off to school barefoot.

But with the help of six students from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in the city of Tacoma, Washington in the United States of America, they are now able to walk to school in comfort and safety in donated shoes.

Inspired by the moto ‘The Shoe that Grows’ initiative, PLU students, who are currently on an exchange study programme in education in Namibia, shipped 100 pairs of shoes which were donated to the pupils of Omaungete Mobile School.

Made of leather and compressed rubber similar to that of a car tyre, the shoe allows a child to have a shoe that will always fit and last them at least five years.

In addition, the anti-bacterial synthetic material has health benefits for the pupils and allows them to walk to and from school safely.

The PLU students, with the help of a translator, described the idea of wanting to complement their visit to support educational endeavours of the pupils and teachers of Omaungete.

They presented the idea of raising funds to purchase shoes that grow five sizes, a project from “The Shoe That Grows,” a branch of the NGO “Because International.”

Before travelling to Namibia, the university students, with guidance of Janet Weiss, a professor in the faculty of education at PLU, discussed how to ascertain if shoes were appropriate for the mobile school community. In order to ascertain whether the community was interested in acquiring shoes and that the shoes were appropriate for the climate and terrain, Weiss spoke to a community member familiar with and connected to the mobile school project.

The roots of this project began after Jennifer Rhyne, a music education professor at PLU, learned of the students’ plan to travel to Namibia.

She shared her experience with The Shoe that Grows, and helped the students with logistics of the project.

The distribution effort at Omaungete Mobile School was facilitated by Weiss and people from the region.

Throughout the process students were encouraged to learn more about the best approach to engage and support the community.

Students experienced the warmth, motivation, and appreciation from the teachers and pupils and also gained a glimpse of the challenges faced by Namibian students living in remote areas.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.