To highlight the importance of equality for all children, The Shoe, a Child Foundation, has donated footwear to hundreds of pupils in Mushin area of Lagos State.

Project Manager of the Foundation, Abisola Aremu, spoke during an outreach at Real Link Model International School in Mushin, with the themed: “Lace Up Towards a Brighter Future.”

She said that their mission was to ensure that every child is fully equipped to attend school, adding that in addition to shoes, they sometimes provide complete school kits, including uniforms, school bags, especially during back-to-school season.

Besides, she said the organisation had distributed over 50,000 shoes across Nigeria since its inception in 2016.

“We partner with individuals and groups around the world to raise funds. Most of our donations come from private individuals abroad. We believe that an outfit isn’t complete without shoes,” she explained.

According to her, in addition to the donation drive, the Foundation collaborates with mental health initiatives to conduct clinical mental awareness sessions for children. We run various outreach programmes throughout the year, focusing primarily on low-income and rural communities, including schools and orphanages.

Aremu explained that to ensure that each child receives the right shoe size, the Foundation sometimes requires students to register for things to be done orderly.

She mentioned that sourcing the right shoes, securing funding, and gaining visibility remain major obstacles, saying that beyond shoe donations, the Foundation also engages in skills acquisition programmes, aiming to empower youths in underserved communities with practical skills for long-term self-reliance.

Director of Real Link Model International School, La-dami Ekundayo, expressed gratitude for the initiative and the importance of such programmes in Mushin, an underserved community known for its vices.

According to him, the partnership has brought smiles to the faces of children and boosted their confidence. Many of their parents cannot afford basic necessities like shoes, so this initiative goes a long way in supporting their well-being and education.