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What does donating shoes have to do with access to safe drinking water? A lot more than you may think. WaterStep is on a mission to empower ordinary people in developing countries by providing water treatment training and sustainable solutions to water problems. It's by collecting shoes of all things that the organization is able to fund these important projects all over the world.
By selling donated shoes to local vendors, WaterStep contributes to micro-enterprise ventures that benefit the local economy and provide money for water purification initiatives in the countries that it operates.
Of all the important disaster relief, emergency management and community development projects, the WaterBall initiative is perhaps the most inspiring. With its ingenious design, the unique contraption lets people literally roll clean water from remote places to their homes, reducing health risks related to walking long distances as well saving time which can then be used for children to go to school.
After cleaning out your closet to raise money for these awesome live-saving ventures, you can also physically get involved through various training programs, internships and volunteering in places such as Nicaragua and Haiti.
Don't forget to pack a pair of waterproof shoes.
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