Source: soulshelpingsoles.org

Going shoeless in Costa Rica used to be a childhood rite of passage in rural areas. Children would spend a lot of time barefoot, especially out in the country. By the time they joined the first grade of elementary school, they would also start wearing shoes. In Guanacaste, however, not all families are able to purchase shoes for their young children.

Public schools in Costa Rica require that their students adhere to certain uniform standards, which include dress shoes in the classroom and athletic footwear during physical education or varsity events. In the beach community of Playas del Coco, some young students at the local elementary schools attend classes in flip-flops or sandals because these tend to be cheaper than the required dress or utility shoes. These students must sit out classes that teach them to play football, and they are relegated to the sidelines while their friends play with their tennis shoes (or cleats) on.

The Souls Helping Soles in Playas del Coco is doing something about this issue. As described on their website:

Souls Helping Soles is a totally volunteer based non-profit organization with no overhead costs. Their mission is simple […] bring shoes to kids in Costa Rica [who] need them.

Costa Rica is a beautiful place to vacation with its fabulous beaches, adventure tours and amazing climate. But, there is another world of children going to school, trying to play sports and growing up without having their basic needs met. One local need is shoes. They need school shoes to complete their school uniform. They need running shoes to learn to play sports. One pair of shoes can make a difference in the quality of life of a local child. So many people travel to Costa Rica[;] if each visitor brought one pair of shoes in their luggage[,] they could make a huge difference in the lives of local children. It’s that simple!

According to their Facebook Timeline, the initial donation drive conducted by Souls Helping Soles netted them with 80 pairs of shoes.

Souls Helping Soles started with a donation of 80 pairs of shoes. They have since expanded their reach and are working on getting shoes from San Jose (where it is dangerous to go shoeless), Texas and elsewhere. If you visit their Facebook Timeline, you can see all the good that Souls Helping Soles is achieving for the shoeless children of Costa Rica.

If you would like to contribute shoes to this project, please email Lisa Garrett, at [email protected]. She is the founder and lives in Costa Rica with the goal of putting each child in a nice pair of shoes.