Thousands of vulnerable people in Uganda suffer from infestations of jiggers- tiny, crippling parasites which negatively impact every aspect of a person’s life. Jiggers prevent people from walking- meaning kids cant go to school, run, or play. Adults cannot work or fetch water. Those who are infected become immediate outcasts because the culture asserts that such individuals are “cursed.”

For more than five years, I’ve been following the work of Sole Hope - a 501(C)3 organization committed to offering hope, healthier lives, and freedom from foot related diseases through education, jobs, and medical intervention, aiding Ugandans in becoming jigger-free, restoring health and hope for their futures. 

I feel fortunate to have already lived 21 years longer than my own father. For this reason and in celebration of my upcoming birthday, I will visit the Hope Center in Uganda next August, 2020. I will spend time being of service to the Center's patients in a variety of ways- inspiring them to hold fast to the same sort of optimism and hope for better days ahead, knowing that one day they will have the strength to inspire others to do the same. 

I NEED YOUR HELP

Please support my fundraising efforts to raise $2100 for Sole Hope—this is the cost to subsidize one weekly clinic in a school and provide four month's worth of food for the team of seven dogs who guard The Hope Center day and night.

**ALL PROCEEDS GO DIRECTLY TO SOLE HOPE VIA PURECHARITY.COM**

As a thank you for your generosity, I'll be hosting a Shoe Making Party in mid-February, during which time l invite you to eat, drink, and assist me in cutting enough fabric to create 70 pairs of shoes from recycled jeans. No special sewing or cobbler skills are required! All of the fabric we prep will be sent to Uganda to be finished into shoes by any one of the 25 local cobblers employed by Sole Hope. The exact date and time of my party has yet to be determined, but it will definitely be in February, 2020 so stay tuned about the details of the Shoe Making Party. Thank you in advance for your support and PLEASE consider sending me a handwritten note of encouragement to be included with the shoes.

*If you are unable to attend/participate, either myself or someone else will cut the materials to be made into shoes in your absence.

To learn more about this awful parasitic infection, follow the link to the video and/ or read more below . . .

http://solehope.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/What-Are-Jiggers_.v4-YouTubeReady.mov 

Sole Hope was founded by Asher Singe, an American who suspended her career as a professional photographer when she accidentally stumbled across a video of a mother holding her toddler who was having parasites (called jiggers) dug out of his feet with a scalpel. Asher decided then and there to travel to a country she had never visited to do whatever she could to alleviate suffering and restore dignity to those who suffer physically and emotionally from this affliction.

A jigger starts out nearly invisible, burrowing into a person’s skin then latching onto blood vessels. Within days, the parasite swells to over 1000 times its original size while continuously laying eggs that quickly hatch, mature, leading to an infestation. This results in severe pain, itching, and infection.

Jigger removal consists of slicing the skin open with a sharp razor to remove the egg sack from the host. This quick step is repeated hundreds or thousands of times on a person’s body until they are 100% jigger free. Once the empty wounds heal, patients are fitted for closed toed shoes to prevent jigger infestation for the people who wear them. The shoes are also a great source of pride for the people who own them.  

Thanks for reading to the end.