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| ©2008-2010 St. Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund |
The Shoe Man
July 2009
"Africa is a cruel country; it takes your heart and grinds it into
powdered stone--and no one minds." Elspeth Huxley
Primary school children in village schools can get away
with coming to school barefoot. Most of them don't own
a pair of shoes and if the teachers sent them home,
there would be no pupils in the classroom! It's different
in the city, including the urban slum where we work.
The humblest primary school serving the poorest
children requires shoes. A barefoot child will not be
permitted to enter. To make things more difficult, the
schools require not just any shoes, but regulation black
leather shoes for both boys and girls. Depending on
the school, a teacher may tolerate non-standard shoes
for a few days or weeks, but after warnings the child is
sent home and told not to return until he or she has the
proper footwear. Since one pair of second-hand
leather shoes can cost more than one term's school
fees, many children find themselves back on the streets
when they should be in school.
Shoes have been an essential part of our program
since the beginning. Initially, we distributed shoes
donated from America. But as both shipping costs and
the number of students increased, this became
cost-prohibitive. Next we tried buying new, discounted
shoes (not real leather) made in China and sold in
Uganda. We gave them to all of our kids at the
beginning of the year and they looked great--all shiny
and smart. Four months later the shoes were falling
apart. By the next school year, I had become familiar
with Owino Market, Kampala's frenzied and chaotic
bazaar for all goods new and used, and for all
comestibles from soup to nuts to fried grasshoppers.
As I moved from one shoe stall to the next, I despaired
of finding someone I could do business with. Each
vendor seemed more interested in overcharging the
muzungu for a one-time sale than in establishing a
long-term relationship. Then I found Richard, an
experienced dealer in durable imported second-hand
leather shoes. Richard had vision and the spirit of a
true entrepreneur. He quickly perceived that he could
earn more in three days putting shoes on our kids than
in weeks depending on unreliable walk-by traffic in a
market with dozens of shoe traders. This was the
arrangement we made: We provided Richard with
quantities and estimated sizes. He transported the
shoes to our office in bulk and assisted in fitting the
children. He gave us a fair price and we paid him in full:
cash on the proverbial barrelhead.
Agnes and Richard on "Shoe Day"
July 2009
"Africa is a cruel country; it takes your heart and grinds it into
powdered stone--and no one minds." Elspeth Huxley
Primary school children in village schools can get away
with coming to school barefoot. Most of them don't own
a pair of shoes and if the teachers sent them home,
there would be no pupils in the classroom! It's different
in the city, including the urban slum where we work.
The humblest primary school serving the poorest
children requires shoes. A barefoot child will not be
permitted to enter. To make things more difficult, the
schools require not just any shoes, but regulation black
leather shoes for both boys and girls. Depending on
the school, a teacher may tolerate non-standard shoes
for a few days or weeks, but after warnings the child is
sent home and told not to return until he or she has the
proper footwear. Since one pair of second-hand
leather shoes can cost more than one term's school
fees, many children find themselves back on the streets
when they should be in school.
Shoes have been an essential part of our program
since the beginning. Initially, we distributed shoes
donated from America. But as both shipping costs and
the number of students increased, this became
cost-prohibitive. Next we tried buying new, discounted
shoes (not real leather) made in China and sold in
Uganda. We gave them to all of our kids at the
beginning of the year and they looked great--all shiny
and smart. Four months later the shoes were falling
apart. By the next school year, I had become familiar
with Owino Market, Kampala's frenzied and chaotic
bazaar for all goods new and used, and for all
comestibles from soup to nuts to fried grasshoppers.
As I moved from one shoe stall to the next, I despaired
of finding someone I could do business with. Each
vendor seemed more interested in overcharging the
muzungu for a one-time sale than in establishing a
long-term relationship. Then I found Richard, an
experienced dealer in durable imported second-hand
leather shoes. Richard had vision and the spirit of a
true entrepreneur. He quickly perceived that he could
earn more in three days putting shoes on our kids than
in weeks depending on unreliable walk-by traffic in a
market with dozens of shoe traders. This was the
arrangement we made: We provided Richard with
quantities and estimated sizes. He transported the
shoes to our office in bulk and assisted in fitting the
children. He gave us a fair price and we paid him in full:
cash on the proverbial barrelhead.
Agnes and Richard on "Shoe Day"
Fire at Owino ©Daily Monitor
Africa is a cruel place, and Uganda is no exception.
Just a few days after our 2009 shoe distribution, Owino
Market was destroyed by a raging fire, most likely
caused by arson. Over 25,000 traders lost their entire
stock and their livelihoods. I phoned Richard. Surely
he could recoup with the money he had just earned
from us. Tragically, he had spent his profits on new
inventory the day before the fire.
But Africans are resilient in the face of disaster. Owino
Market has since been rebuilt with assistance from the
government and the private sector, and through the
gritty determination of the vendors. Richard and many
others have scraped together enough cash to restock.
We're looking forward to continuing our partnership next
year on "shoe day."
Peter, Richard, and a bag of shoes
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