Walk 'in my shoes' - Limerick children donate their shoes to poorer countries

HUNDREDS of Limerick children will be donating their shoes to those less fortunate as part of a national campaign. 

Tens of thousands of shoes will be sent to Southern African townships, with eight Limerick schools having already signed up to the cause. Although secondhand, it is encouraged that shoes must be ‘gently worn’ before donating.

Parents nationwide are being sent up into attics and under the stairs, to dig out pairs of shoes which are still in good condition, but which have been outgrown by their owners.

The campaign is being ran by In My Shoes, a charity which was set up in 2019 by three friends after a visit to Cape Town, home to 2.4m people. Irishman Ciarán McHugh and two of his friends founded the organisation, which is now supported by shipping partners UPS.

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Ciarán said: "I have never been involved in a project before where so many wanted to do so much for so little.

“In My Shoes seems to be a cause of its time - a simple idea, but one with the potential to impact thousands of lives, in however small a way, by connecting individual acts of kindness.” 

From April 17 - 28, pupils from across Limerick will send their shoes off to new homes, which will first land in a pop-up sorting department in Sligo before getting exported to other school children in South Africa and Lesotho. 

The message is that shoes are more than just foot protection in an African township, as they help to promote regular school attendance, where a walk to school can often be miles. Shoes give children safety, improve self-esteem and encourage after school sporting activities.

Ciarán reiterated this by saying: “With shoes comes school, education and a hopeful future.”

Some of the Limerick schools signed up so far are: Gaelscoil O'Doghair, Newcastle West, St Fergus Primary School, Glin, Knockea Catholic National School, Ballyneety, Kilmeedy National School, Kilmeedy, and Bulgaden National School, Kilmallock.