WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

This is the driving force of Shoe4Africa. It is our strong belief that if you give Empowerment back to African women then a healthy strong Africa will (re)emerge in the 21st century.

Today people argue about helping Africa, talking about Aid, but they often forget and they confuse... for example take away Government Aid (that is most often written about due to the large amounts and politician photo ops but is laced with trade, interest & a million clauses), and go back to Africa in the 1840's -- they were doing a lot better before the arrival of the European looters, and the German forces who actually came in to Africa and committed one of the first documented cases of genocide, and then we have the wish just to help where we see a real need, driven by nothing more than compassion and a feeling of what is right.

And when we talk about huminatarian Aid, true giving, this is needed in many places all over the world, but often to extreme levels in Eastern Africa.  People often need a bit of encouragement and support; antiquated cultural ways that do not promote equality, and rotten economies, are not the best building blocks for a global world.

Before Europeans introduced capitalism, land ownership, and the monetary system, and came with labor to implement exportation of all commodities worth exporting, Africa was BETTER off without Aid. The 'new' way, implemented by the foreigners to the continent, of life shifted all powers from the women over to the men, wrecking that united strong family home that was the successful African way.

Law changes by male dictatorship, some barbaric, like the rape laws (if a woman accuses a man and the man wins the case the woman must serve a prison sentence - tell that to a peasant woman dealing with a business man), others like women were not allowed to inherit land, and often women were told "This is not for you" by the colonists, and it is easy to see the various stages in the last century's history that have led to the continual diminishing powers of the woman's role in Africa.

But, the women of Africa are waiting in the wings, we proved it in a very small way: In Iten village, Kenya, there was a race where 6-women and 126-men turned up to run, the women told us "The men tell us stay home, running is not for you... that is why our numbers are so few." (Visions of colonial days where the British introduced sports for men only into East Africa pop up).  So we held a Women's only race in that village of 4000 inhabitants. We had 2,900 women come to line up! That is the Women of Africa... they are ready for leadership and building stability in a continent crying to get back to its peaceful ways.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Support our cause!  Make a small donation.  If you are interested please get in touch, we have many ways to help the women of Africa from School fees, to college grants, to job finding, all the way back to giving the woman, at the vegetable stand in Iten, a pair of running shoes, tracksuit and clothes, so she, at the age of 46, can try running, just for fun!