Drawing Dreams Initiative and its founder Grace Wanene have been partnering with Because International since their first shoe distribution in 2019. Since then, the organization has distributed nearly 650 pairs of The Shoe That Grows to Kenyan youth—primarily girls. 

THE NEED FOR SHOES

“Girls get home, go to the river, fetch water, do chores,” said Grace. “Can you imagine doing all of that without shoes? The Shoe That Grows is a license to a child’s right to play, manage their hygiene, and be safe walking to and from school. It’s not just a shoe—it gives children their rights.” 

While Drawing Dreams Initiative works with many school-aged children to combat the opportunities for disease that come with a lack of hygiene in schools, they also focus a lot of their work on teenage mothers. 

“[In Kenya,] one of five girls is already a mother or pregnant,” explained Grace. “When I was doing the door-to-door campaign, there were so many children with children—and we couldn’t help but wonder how the cycle of poverty would end.”

A 2022 Ministry of Health Survey found that one in five Kenyan girls between the ages of 15–19 have already had a baby or are expecting—making Kenya the third-highest country for teenage pregnancies. And, according to the National Council for Population and Development, around 13,000 girls drop out of school every year due to pregnancy. 

“We provide these mothers with training, childcare and shoes,” said Grace. “Their eyes beam with happiness and gratitude because their needs always come second. No one is interested in the mother's care.” 

Drawing Dreams Initiative is planning to open a center where they’ll offer life skills training to young mothers, offer local solutions for community problems, and provide those in need with pairs of The Shoe That Grows. 

HOW TO SUPPORT THE DISTRIBUTIONS OF SHOES

To support more distributions like these, sign up for The Sole. For every $20 you donate a month, one pair of The Shoe That Grows will be sent to families in need.