Why new shoes for Nepal?
Imagine having no feeling in your feet. You step on a stone, a piece of glass, a splinter, and the silent damage is done: tissue infection or muscle injury, leading to blood poisoning and eventually lameness. Leprosy, which destroys nerve endings, can cause such damage if left untreated. And in parts of Nepal where the disease persists, poor – or absent – footwear can make every step risky.
A simple pair of shoes makes all the difference.
At Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital & Services Centre in south eastern Nepal, shoes are custom-made for leprosy patients. Each pair of canvas shoes, reinforced with microcellular rubber, costs from just under €5 and allows the wearer to move on in life, literally, using what’s probably the only transport available: his or her feet.
Each year approximately 2,500 pairs of shoes are made for patients, preventing further foot deformities. If you would like to protect someone’s feet from unnecessary discomfort this autumn and winter, we would be very grateful.
You can donate €5 or more via Paypal by clicking here. Many thanks.