This is the biggest and most important phase of "The Next Step"
Once the children have recovered at the Outreach House, they are given a new pair of Sole Hope shoes. These shoes are made within the Ugandan Sole Hope workshop from jeans cut out at Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Parties in a variety of countries by various volunteers. The children are resettled into their villages equipped with the tools and knowledge they need to remain jigger free and to teach others to do the same!
In June 2014, Sole Hope partnered with the Jinja District Health Department on a “Anti-jigger Movement”. This brought much needed attention to the problem of jiggers and the stigma surrounding it. The collaboration and the media attention caused Sole Hope to start coming up on the radar of health officials, local leaders, and probation officers all over Eastern Uganda.
Sole Hope started receiving calls daily from social workers, police, and hospitals (who sadly do not treat jiggers). The beds were full and the calls kept coming. With each family staying for 1-3 weeks, they were quite backed up.
Sole Hope leased and opened our current Outreach House in summer 2014. We want to continue this trend, and help make a difference in many more lives in the years to come, so we are asking you to help us Build Hope by making an even more impactful Outreach House on our new land!
Since 2010 Sole Hope has been exploring the best way to attack the problem of jiggers in Eastern Uganda. It has been a dream of Asher (founder) from the beginning to set up a location as a jigger clinic and refuge. This is absolutely unheard of in Uganda because of the stigma and shame that come with having jiggers. Existing hospitals and clinics turn away jigger patients regularly.
We believe we have found the foothold (pun intended) that will prove to be successful in treating the several hundred thousand affected by jiggers in the coming years as well as continue to provide jobs to Ugandans through shoemaking, tailoring, nursing, and all of the other important pieces that make up Sole Hope Uganda.
The goal is to move all operations (currently running out of two rented facilities and the Collie's home) to the land. Having all of Sole Hope's operations in one place will help with overall efficiencies and long term financial savings.
This is quite the undertaking and breaking up into phases will help give priority to the most important pieces so that we can continue to treat those suffering from jiggers.
Here’s how you can help Build Hope:
1) Buy a brick for $25. Or two. Or 6. Or a Bundle for $250. This is a huge undertaking, but we can do it together--brick by brick. (Purchase a brick by clicking "Donate"!)
2) Tell your friends. Tweet, post, email, shout really loud . . . we need everyone to share our affiliate link. We need to sell around 18,000 of these to get the job done.
3) Shop. No, really. The catch is that you have to do it through the Pure Charity website's online partners (like GAP, Target, J. Crew & Apple). They will donate a percentage to your Online Giving Fund which then you pass on to this project.
Sole Hope (established 2010) is a non-profit organization with a focused effort in Uganda to battle the problem of jiggers. Jiggers are small sand fleas that burrow into the bare feet of thousands of Ugandan children who often live their lives without adequate footwear and a misconception about the cause of jiggers. The result is infection, gangrene, paralysis, and occasionally amputation and even death.
Sole Hope’s mission is “Offering HOPE, healthier lives, and freedom from foot-related diseases through education, jobs, and medical relief.“
Asher (the founder) and Dru Collie (executive director) and their six children have been living in Jinja, Uganda serving locals along with their volunteers and team of workers for more than 2 years now.
Sole Hope provides:
1) Closed-toe shoes to children in Uganda to protect their feet from jiggers.
2) Education on preventing and treating jiggers for children and their care givers.
3) Medical care – removing jiggers from children's feet, treating the wounds, testing for HIV, Typhoid, Malaria, and other diseases.
4) Jobs to men and women in Uganda – teaching the trade of shoe-making and providing employments in the local communities.
Quick links to all Build Hope phases
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Jinja, Eastern Region, Uganda
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