How TOMS Shoes fit into the big picture
With TOMS Giving Partner IMA World Health...
Shoes are important, especially in developing countries where children walk for miles every day to get to school and clean water.
Shoes protect feet from rough paths, sharp objects, contaminated soil and the cold and heat. And in some places they’re a part of school uniforms, making them a requirement for children to attend class.
And yet, while those all are great benefits, it’s when shoes are combined with other efforts like de-worming medications, hygiene education and community health care that they become even more powerful tools in helping keep kids healthy and on track in their education.
That’s why TOMS is proud that our customers’ shoes are given through Giving Partners like IMA World Health in Haiti. IMA has been working to prevent soil-transmitted infections in Haiti since 2007.
In conjunction with schools and community centers, IMA provides education on healthy hygiene and sanitation practices as well as de-worming and other safe medications to help treat children with parasites. Since 2010, IMA has been integrating TOMS Shoes into their programs, helping further protect children from infections.
“These [TOMS] shoes provide added benefit to IMA’s program on several levels. First, the children love the shoes. You can see their faces light up when they put them on. They are genuinely excited.“
“But ultimately, shoes act as a simple barrier, providing an extra layer of protection against soil-transmitted infections. They are a wonderful complement to the medication being distributed through our program.” - Rick Santos, President & CEO of IMA World Health.
Thanks to the expertise of TOMS Giving Partners like IMA World Health and their experience in developing communities, TOMS Shoes are more than a gift, but a crucial piece of the puzzle for improving children’s health and access to education.
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