Maryville resident launches shoe collection drive to raise money for Kenya projects

Mwandani International is conducting a shoe drive from November 1 to December 31 to raise funds for its programs in Kenya.

Mwandani International is a nonprofit organization that was launched in 2018 by area resident, George Kegode. Mwandani International is dedicated to improving rural livelihoods in Kenya through the adoption of innovative and sustainable farming practices that increase crop production and enhance crop value. For more information about Mwandani International, please visit: mwandani.org

Mwandani International will earn funds based on the total weight of the shoes collected as Funds2Orgs, a Florida-based social enterprise, will purchase all the donated footwear. The dollars Mwandani International earns from the shoe drive will benefit rural Kenyan farmers and help them develop small-scale agriculture-based industries that produce value-added products thereby increasing earning potential and creating job opportunities.

Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used or new shoes. Tie the shoes together or put them in a plastic bag and then in clearly marked boxes at the following locations: in Maryville, First Baptist Church, 121 East Jenkins Street and 707 Windsor Avenue; in St. Joseph, 2516 Meadow Ridge Drive.

Kegode can be reached at 660.541.1500 to arrange for shoes to be picked up.

All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of microenterprise partners in developing nations. Funds2Orgs helps impoverished people start, maintain, and grow businesses in countries such as Haiti, Honduras and other nations in Central America and Africa. Proceeds from the shoe sales are used to feed, clothe, and house their families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send her son to law school.

“We are excited about our shoe drive,” said Kegode, president and executive director of Mwandani International. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate and help those less fortunate become self-sufficient.”

Others including, Joe Suchan, Bev Anderson, Joachim Bayo, Jonathan Mitchell and Joe Cornelison, all of whom are advisors to Mwandani International, agree “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to Mwandani International, the shoes will be given a second chance to make a difference in people’s lives.