Message from the President

Thank you for being part of the Because story in 2025.

Your generosity helped us take the biggest step forward in the history of this organization. A new version of The Shoe That Grows went from concept to full-scale production, and together we distributed over 100,000 pairs—more than doubling the previous year's numbers and reaching tens of thousands of kids in some of Kenya's poorest communities.

We hope you enjoy this in depth look at the impact you helped create through your support of distributions of The Shoe That Grows and our work with entrepreneurs in the Because Fellowship.

The need is enormous, and we're still only getting started. Thank you for continuing to be a part of the team and the mission.

In gratitude, 
Andrew Kroes

Mission, Vision, MPI

Eductional Impact

Health Impact

Standard of Living Impact

Reflections

2025 financial information

Our supporters

Mission

Our mission is to alleviate poverty by delivering products that impact lives.

Vision

We envision a world without poverty—where all basic needs are met, communities are uplifted, and all people can flourish.

Theory of Change

Our Theory of Change shows how working toward our mission can bring us closer to achieving our vision.

The Multidimensional Poverty Index

We use the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)—a framework from the United Nations Development Programme—to define poverty and measure impact. The MPI measures three dimensions of poverty: Education, Health and Standard of Living. Our work with The Shoe That Grows and with entrepreneurs focuses on delivering products that help alleviate poverty by addressing basic human needs within these three dimensions.

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Educational Impact of The Shoe That Grows

The Multidimensional Poverty Index measures education by the indicators of years of schooling and school attendance. 

Because International created impact in the MPI dimension of Education by distributing The Shoe That Grows.

The Shoe is a tool that removes a barrier to education, creating long-term impact by keeping children in school longer and increasing opportunities for a better future. 

Additionally, Because International supported the efforts of other entrepreneurs creating impact in the Education dimension through the Because Fellowship.

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Pairs distributed in Kenya

By Because International through Kenyan partner organizations

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Pairs sent in Christmas shoeboxes

Through Operation Christmas Child and other programs

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Partner Organizations

Identifying schools, receiving and distributing shoes

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Pairs distributed in 27 other countries

Through partners, service trips and Christmas shoeboxes

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Pairs funded by The Sole

Our monthly giving community, distributed in Kenya and Malawi

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Total Supporters in 2025

Including both donors and purchasers of The Shoe

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Focus on Busia, County, Kenya 

In 2025 we focused on Busia County, distributing 37,664 pairs of shoes

Why Busia County?

  • One of the poorest counties in Kenya.
  • Located in western Kenya, bordering Uganda, which influences daily life and cross-border activities.
  • Despite being a major international gateway to East and Central Africa, this commercial activity has failed to trickle down to the local population.
  • Children near the border often cross from Uganda daily for cheaper education, making schooling a cross-national effort.
  • A major highway runs through the county, facilitating the transport of goods to the rest of East Africa.
  • Economic challenges: work is scarce; many households are headed by single parents or grandparents.
  • Social risks: long truck queues at the border contribute to issues like sex trafficking targeting vulnerable youth.
  • In rural areas farther from main roads, children may walk up to an hour each way to school.
  • Health concerns: high prevalence of jiggers infestations and other foot-related diseases; nearly all children know someone affected.

What we learned

82%

of students reported that they or someone they know has recently experienced jiggers or similar foot-related parasitic infections.

83%

reported experiencing a foot injury from walking barefoot within the last six months.

~90%

of students worry “a lot” about not having shoes.

83%

of teachers reported that it is common for their students to not have shoes.

75.8%

of students walk 30 minutes or more to get to school. One in five students are estimated to walk more than an hour each way.

98%

of teachers surveyed said that it is common for families in their schools to struggle financially, expressing difficulty meeting their children’s basic needs.

83%

of teachers reported that it is “common” for their students to struggle with self-esteem, referring to the social consequences of poverty.

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"Education is a pathway to opportunity, but for many children in Busia County, even getting to school is a challenge. Shoes play a vital role in that journey as they provide protection, comfort, and the confidence needed to attend school consistently and focus on learning. Sometimes, the foundation of education begins with meeting these basic needs."

Sarah Martha, Executive Director, Dhamira Moja

Protection

Protection

Osia Primary, Amagoro, Kenya 

Located in the rural town of Amagoro in Western Kenya is Osia Primary, a school that serves 395 kids. Damaris, a 14-year-old who dreams of being a lawyer when she grows up, walks 30 minutes to get to school each day. Before receiving a pair of The Shoe That Grows, Damaris would often make the trip to school barefoot. She told us that she feared “getting diseases” like jiggers or hookworm. Teacher Rhoda from Osia said that she’s seen her students “get cut by sharp objects while playing.” Teacher Javan said that to protect their feet, some students “borrow shoes to go to the latrine.”

  • 67% of students said they or someone they know has recently had jiggers or other foot-related diseases, and the most common concern without shoes was the risk of disease or infection.
  • 100% of the teachers reported that it is common for students not to have shoes. They all agreed it is common for students to experience foot injuries while walking to school. 
  • 100% of teachers said they know someone personally affected by jiggers or other foot-related diseases.
Learn More about impact on health→
Finances

Finances

Amerikwai Primary, Amerikwai, Kenya

Amerikwai Primary School is located near the Uganda border, serving 943 students. They have recently received a new school building, and because of that, they have received a lot more students this year. According to 6th-grade teacher Benard, “when a school receives new resources, like a building or a pair of shoes for all the learners, it encourages children to come from very far away to our school.” Gloria, a 14-year-old, wants to be a fashion model when she grows up, saying, “I have some creativity and I think I can be good at that. ”The shoes she was wearing on the day of the distribution of The Shoe That Grows was a pair given to her by a friend, but none of her siblings owned a pair of shoes. She comes from a family with 6 children and admitted how difficult it is for her mother to provide all of the basic needs for her and her siblings.

  • 100% of teachers said it is common for the families in their schools to struggle with finances and providing for their kids’ basic needs. 
  • Teachers reported that many of their learners live with a single parent or with their grandparents, who are unable to afford the uniforms, school fees, or even three meals a day. 
Learn More about impact on finances→
Self-esteem

Self-esteem

St. Luke's Amoni Primary, Bondeni, Kenya

Located near the border of Uganda in Western Kenya, St. Luke's Amoni Primary serves 835 students. At the distribution of The Shoe That Grows, Boniface, a 5-year-old, received his first-ever pair of shoes. He said, “I am excited to wear my shoes! I want to play soccer with them on.” Kevin, a teacher of grades 7-9, also leads a club at school that teaches moral behavior. In the club, she teaches the students how to dress smart and carry themselves well. She said, “When the learners come to us, we increase their self-confidence. Keeping them in school is very important. When they are well dressed with a uniform and shoes, they are proud and come to school.”

  • 100% of teachers said that it is common for their students to struggle with self-confidence.
  • Teachers cited lack of a proper uniform and a pair of shoes as a cause of low self-confidence–visible markers that can be a symbol of status, triggering shame and social comparison.
Read more about impact on confidence→

Additional Educational Impact

Because Fellowship entrepreneurs creating impact with classroom supplies, menstrual products and light projects

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Arnold Mugagga, Zetu Africa, Uganda

1,300 SeatPacks distributed in 2025

Each SeatPack creates impact in the following ways:

  • Provides basic sitting and writing facilities in low-income classrooms where previously no furniture was available
  • Facilitates studying at home and family house chores with solar-lamp lighting at nightfall
  • Provides adolescent girls with reliable toolkits for menstrual hygiene

Learn more about Zetu Africa.

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Dulla Shiltone, EcoBana, Kenya

Over 1 million sanitary pads distributed in 2025

Each sanitary pad creates impact in the following ways:

  • Promotes dignity
  • Increases school attendance
  • Supports household economic savings by offering affordable menstrual products
  • Protects health

Learn more about EcoBana.

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Valentine Nnamani, OneGrid Energies, Nigeria

700 products distributed in 2025

Solar lanterns and energy hubs create impact in the following ways:

  • Eases financial burden with cost-effective energy solutions
  • Increased productivity for education, families and communities through charging stations
  • Improved health benefits by eliminating kerosene

Learn more about OneGrid Energies.

Health Impact created by Because Fellows

Poverty in the Health dimension of the MPI is measured by the indicators of nutrition and child mortality.

In 2025 Because addressed issues in the dimension of Health through supporting the work of entrepreneurs in the Because Fellowship.
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Joshua Ichor, GeoTek, Nigeria

1,585,000 individuals given access to safe water 

Groundwater exploration and extraction create impact in the following ways:

  • Improved health through access to clean and safe water
  • Improved access to education, especially for girls
  • Safety and dignity

The transformative power of water: Kwatri’s story

For Kwatri, a university student living with visual impairment, the simple act of fetching water was once a perilous daily struggle in the town of Naraguta, Nigeria. She faced extreme hardship, traveling long distances over difficult terrain—a journey that was as physically dangerous as it was exhausting.

The installation of a GeoTek system near her residence has fundamentally transformed her life. By bringing clean and safe water directly to her community, the project has eliminated the need for her grueling treks. Kwatri now has easy access to water for drinking, cooking and hygiene, allowing her to focus on her studies rather than her survival.

Learn more about GeoTek.

Standard of Living impact created by Because Fellows

Indicators of poverty in the Standard of Living dimension in the MPI are cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing and assets.

In 2025 Because addressed issues in the dimension of Standard of Living through supporting the work of entrepreneurs in the Because Fellowship.

Abel Hailegiorgis, Bamboo Labs, Ethiopia

35 children’s wheelchairs and 100 bicycles distributed in 2025

Cost-effective mobility creates impact in increased independence and improved livelihoods.

From confinement to connection: the power of a chair

In Addis Ababa, a young boy’s world was limited to his mother’s back. Paralyzed and confined to his home, he couldn’t reach the local playground, while his mother was unable to work due to the constant physical demands of his care.

Everything changed with a Bamboo Labs wheelchair. Now at eye level with his community, he has traded confinement for the joy of the playground. This mobility freed his mother to enter the workforce; she now works for an NGO supporting other children with disabilities. One mobility solution didn’t just provide a seat—it gave a son his world and a mother her livelihood.

Learn more about Bamboo Labs.

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Additional Standard of Living Impact

Other Fellows creating financial, environmental, safety and efficiency impact through affordable clean cooking products

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Barbra Jane Nantongo, Smart Kitchen Solutions, Uganda

48,394 clean cooking briquettes and 143 stoves distributed in 2025

Learn more about Smart Kitchen Solutions.

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Mariah Kizza, SWEDO, Uganda

24.3 tonnes of sustainable cooking briquettes and 635 energy-efficient appliances distributed in 2025

Learn more about SWEDO.

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Vincent Ubeling, Green at Mind Limited, Kenya

5,156 cooking stoves distributed in 2025

Learn more about Green at Mind.

Reflections / 2025 Financial snapshot

Our leadership team reflected on the impact data, the stories and experiences of those we serve, and the financial reporting from 2025. These successes and challenges encapsulate some of the most important work of the past year as we look to the future.

Challenges

  • Struggled to ramp up production at a rate necessary to keep up with demand/support, thus faced inventory shortages at key periods in the year.
  • Had big questions to consider about the trajectory of our work with social entrepreneurs and our role in making and measuring impact through the entrepreneurship programs.
  • Absorbed increased shoe costs as we navigated taxes/tariffs.
  • Had to reorganize structures and workloads across the team due to employee transitions.

Successes

  • More than doubled the number of pairs of The Shoe That Grows distributed year over year, from 43,793 in 2024 to 103,548 in 2025. 
  • Began full-scale production and distribution of the new version of The Shoe That Grows. 
  • Ramped up Kenya operations, including growing the team, partnerships and processes for effective and impactful distributions.
  • Fine-tuned survey and data collection processes to better measure, understand and report on the Impact of The Shoe That Grows. 
  • Grew the total number of shoes distributed to kids around the world through Christmas shoeboxes to an all-time high. 
  • Increased revenue by double digit percentages in 2025
  • Leveraged increased revenue to make strategic investments in operational infrastructure and maximize distributions of our new shoe design that, while contributing to a negative net revenue for the year, have laid the foundation for sustained growth and impact going forward.
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Total Program Expense Split

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Total Expense Ratio

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Total Revenue Breakdown

Our supporters

Your generosity fuels this work and makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the children and families served. To each of our 2025 supporters, thank you for being a part of the Because community.