Enough with the shoe donations
Posted on March 4, 2010 at 10:52 am
Every time I turn around another movie star or charitable event is collecting shoes to send to disaster zones or developing countries. Just today I was reading a frivolous article about Oscar gift bags (and no I don’t generally read this type of article – long story) in the article was information on yet ANOTHER charity collecting shoes:
“Shoes for Africa” was this events’ charity, and guests were encouraged to donate a pair of new or worn shoes to the theashefoundation.org:
-”The shoes will be shipped in April to South Africa for a ‘Christmas in July’ distribution for the 2010 World Cup” “We just returned from Ghana three weeks ago, and we brought 2000 pair of shoes, clothes and toys to needy children” “The foundation is less than 2 years old, but we have completed three trips in one year so far: South Africa, Mosambique, and Ghana”
And here’s Project Haiti trying to donate 50,000 shoes to Haiti
Thanks for visiting 50000shoes.com. Donate shoes now to the Haitian earthquake victims who desperately need appropriate footwear. As little as $5 (that’s the price of a venti frap, by the way) provides two pairs of shoes.
I’ve blogged about the problems with donated shoes so many times, as have other aid bloggers, that it’s incredibly frustrating to see this poor aid practice continue and thrive. Let me just say this one more time.
Please STOP donating shoes overseas. And stop supporting any organization that collects and distributes donated shoes overseas. They don’t understand good aid practices and they haven’t done any serious evaluations of their work.
Want to learn more?
Blog posts specifically about shoe donations
Donating shoes and other aid fads - Good Intentions are Not Enough
Nobody wants your old shoes: How not to help in Haiti - AidWatch guest post by Alanna Shaikh
We’re shocked to discover Jessica Simpson doesn’t read our blog - AidWatch on the 50,000 shoe project
What IS it with the SHOES? – Tales from the Hood
Three bad ideas for helping Haiti – Blood and Milk
Blog posts about in-kind donations in general
Good donorship and some early lessons learned from the earthquake response in Haiti – Good Intentions are not enough
6 questions you should ask before donating goods overseas – Good Intentions are Not Enough
The worst in-kind donations – Good Intentions are Not Enough
Haiti: Help with money, not stuff – Global Post
Guidelines for appropriate International Disaster Donations – Center of International Disaster Information (CIDI)
« Good donorship and some early lessons from the earthquake response in Haiti • Interesting articles and posts: late February/ early March 2010 »
Does TOMS shoes fall into this same category?
Hillary,
If TOMS shoes are bringing donated shoes into a country to give them away, then yes, it falls into the same category.
Thought of this post when I saw this on the TED blog today: http://bit.ly/apXYeV. Appears yesterday was the One Day Without Shoes initiative. [Head thunk.]
I think your opinions are misguided. Even if you give the parents of these childred jobs, the children still need shoes!
There are shoes for sale in the local marketplace. They are cheap and readily available. If the parents have jobs they can purchase these themselves or the nonprofit could purchase shoes locally and support the local economy. Shipping our shoes over just competes with people trying to make a living potentially putting them out of work.
So buy them locally with the money you’ve spent on organising this donation drive. That helps the local economy and gives children shoes. Whereas if you simply introduce new product, you’re creating long term economic trouble.
Melanie,
You may not like what I say, but at least I stand behind it. You on the other hand have used a fake email address, so I’m deleting your comment.
I’m curious. I thought the point of donations was to help the people that can’t afford to feed or cloth themselves. Why should the less fortunate be concerned with businesses putting money in their pocket? I understand your point, but as far as donations go who cares about those making money, it’s about the people that have nothing!
Shug,
Your assumptions are common, but unfortunately incorrect. Please take the time to read some of the posts in the Day Without Dignity counter-campaign. http://goodintents.org/in-kind-donations/a-day-without-dignity
I’m all for trying to be smarter about being personally charitable, but have a care not to dissuade others from whatever charitable acts they care to perform. To do so is the very definition of evil.
Good job. What a way to set back donations. Congrats.
Glad I took time to read the link from Day Without Dignity. At first read of this page, I agreed with G.A.B, but after reading the article on the link, I understand how donating the shoes does more harm than good. Goodwill can have my old shoes!
So would it be better to throw the shoes my kids have grown out of in the garbage? I understand having a job would be better all around, but if I have something I no longer need is it better to give it to someone who does need it or throw it away?