THE SOUL

No Shoes. No School. No future in Haiti.

Shoes are a precious commodity in the Jean Pierre household. For the poor living in the Grand Anse, a rural region of southern Haiti, they can mean the difference between a life of poverty and a life of prosperity.

For John Jean Pierre, 7, and his brother, Francis, 8, the reality of this is clear, which is why they compromise. In freshly shined shoes, John makes the half-mile walk to school each morning. Around noontime, when the children are let out for lunch, he runs home and gives his shoes to Francis, who wears them to school in the afternoon. Splitting time at school is the daily routine for these brothers because their parents, who work for a pittance selling fruit on the side of the road, are too poor to buy more than one pair of shoes.

In Haiti, as in many parts of the developing world, public and private schools have strict dress

codes. Children, no matter how poor, cannot attend without shoes and a school uniform. As a result many poor children cannot get an education, and without it they cannot pull themselves from the intense poverty that dominates their lives.

Children in developing countries face all kinds of barriers that keep them from school. Some must stay home to help around the house and care for younger siblings. In Central American countries, such as Nicaragua, children as young as 5 are compelled to work in the streets or fields to help support their families instead of going to school.

There is hope for these children. Numerous reports have shown that education alleviates poverty.

If given the opportunity to go to school, these children can improve their situation.

Join in the fight end poverty and increase childhood education and donate your new or gently used shoes.

Information courtesy  of  Cross International