Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Recycling old denim into sustainable footwear — it’s an idea Midlander Wynne Elder hopes will catch on. After learning about the painful foot problems faced by children in rural Uganda because of a lack of proper shoes, she decided she needed to do something to help.
Elder had been to Uganda three times before — twice on mission trips and once with a group of artisans. During a recent visit, she volunteered with Sole Hope, a Christian-based nonprofit that provides footwear and medical care for rural Ugandans.
Foot-related diseases are a major problem in places such as rural Uganda, where many children don’t have access to closed-toe shoes. Without these shoes, sand fleas (commonly known as “jiggers”) burrow into children’s feet and lay eggs, causing parasitic infections that lead to open sores and gaping wounds.
“It’s so painful,” Elder said. “They’re not able to play, or walk, or go to school or all these things that kids are supposed to do.”
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