Soles4Good provides used shoes to women in developing nations and helps them kickstart their own micro-businesses. They sell used shoes for a profit and are able to provide for their family and community.
So far, we’ve collected and shipped 23K+ shoes to help kickstart 33+ micro-businesses in El Salvador and Senegal. Over 60% of our beneficiaries achieve financial autonomy within one year. And we’re just getting started.
We help women in developing worlds create sustainable, lifelong business that generate consistent sources of income.
As an excess in many communities, shoes provide the perfect platform to empower others.
"Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime."
We took this quote to heart when designing S4G’s identity. We aimed to create sustainable, life-long sources of income for these women, not just one-time charity giveaways.
Rather than simply donating shoes to those in need, Soles4Good creates opportunities for women in developing nations by empowering them to create their own businesses. The stories we hear from our micro-entrepreneurs are truly heartbreaking, so we are ecstatic to see the transformation in their lives.
A quick glance into our streamlined process for delivering shoes as a means for empowerment. We strive to remain cost-effective and scalable at all levels.
First, shoes are collected through various shoe drives in neighborhoods, schools, and at companies. After being sorted and packed into boxes, these shoes are shipped abroad. We work closely with other NGOs and governments to effectively pass through customs.
The women selected receive a basic education in accounting and business principles. We consistently remain in open dialogue with our micro-entrepreneurs, as hearing their stories and taking their feedback remains critical to our success. Finally, they are given a free batch of shoes to begin their journey.
Our micro-entrepreneurs meet on a regular basis to purchase shoes at a set price from the income they generated by selling shoes; this allows Soles4Good’s model to remain sustainable. Over time, women transition to locally sourced goods and become less dependent on our continued support.
Read about our past missions, and how our impact has influenced the lives of others. Learn more about the people we helped, our process, and how we function as an organization.
Our trip to El Salvador, where we further scaled Soles4Good into the organization it is today. Read about the people we helped, how we found them, their stories, and more.
Senegal was Soles4Good’s first destination, where we formed our identity. A great stepping stone, Senegal proved to be a country full of needs; but was economically infeasible.
