Current Project - Goats and Medications

The goal of the project is to improve food security for households in need including some headed by orphans caring for younger brothers and sisters as well as others where grandparents are caring for orphaned grandchildren. The goats’ milk will provide much needed nutritional support in an area where more than 50% of children under 5 years old are chronically or severely malnourished. The goats will also provide organic manure for gardens and once the stock is above 5 goats/household, they will be able to begin eating or selling them.

$50.00 will buy one goat and for $150.00 you can provide a family with their 3 goats.

Medicines (Physicians' Travel Packs - through Health Partners International of Canada)

Each year in Africa 5 million children die as a result of malaria, diarrhea, or pneumonia.  These diseases are easily treatable with a few cents worth of antibiotics, but in many places these drugs are not available.  In the last 4 years Stephanie and her father have hand delivered 16 Physicians' Travel Packs (PTP's) to rural hospitals and clinics in Northern Malawi.  Each PTP is 70 pounds and can treat 1500 people.

The PTP's are supplied by Health Partners International of Canada, a humanitarian organization who receive donated medicines from pharmaceutical companies, all medicines are in-date and first quality.  PTPs are individually packaged to be hand-carried for delivery to regions in need.

Each PTP has an administration cost of $550.00 and provides approximately $7000 worth of pharmaceutical and medical supplies.

Completed Projects



Maize Sheller


The Katete AIDS project is a small group of dedicated individuals who run a maize mill which generates income to support AIDS awareness programs and families affected by AIDS. The group was generating income with their maize grinder but they were in need of a maize sheller which would complete the maize preparation process for eating. Stephanie competed in a contest put on by Youth in Motion called the Courage to Soar Challenge in 2009 in which she won the price of $5,000 which went towards the $10,000 needed for the sheller. The project was completed by local family friends and supporters. A big thanks goes out the Maggs family who aided with the project.

Container Project


It All Started With The Shoes has helped to organize and ship 4 containers to Malawi. These containers were filled with donated items including computers, school supplies, clothing and shoes, books, sewing supplies, stuffed toys, and hospital linens.  On arrival, the contents were distributed to families in need, schools, hospitals, AIDS orphanages, and rural villages.  The cost to ship a 20 foot container, including ocean shipping and ground transportation within Africa is $8,000.  The most recent container arrived in June 2010.

Sports Equipment


We were fortunate enough to receive over 15 full team sets of soccer jerseys as well as some cleats and shorts from a local West Island donor. Stephanie and her sister Hilary delivered some of the sports equipment on their trip in 2009 and the rest of the uniforms went in the 2010 container. They were donated to local school sports teams with new soccer balls.

Tupwengie School


The rural village Tupwenge in northern Malawi was in desperate need of a new school. The children were taught in a 3-sided hut with a mud floor, no desks or chairs and a leaky roof.  During the rainy season the children huddled together just to remain dry.  It All Started With the Shoes was able to provide them with a new 2-classroom brick school complete with small library, desks and teachers houses. Enrolment has tripled and the children can now stay dry and comfortable while they learn. 

Kanuriere School (St. Luke’s school)


During a presentation at a Montreal area church, Stephanie highlighted a community in Northern Malawi that was in need of a new school. The children were unable to attend school for 3 months of the year as they  had to traverse a river which overflowed and became dangerous to cross during the rainy season. St. Luke's Catholic Church in Dollard Des Ormeaux, Quebec, raised $35,000 to build a five classroom school to accommodate 400 students, with teachers' housing and latrines.

Medications


Stephanie and her father have hand-delivered 21 boxes of medicine, each one containing about $7,000 worth of medicines, and each one containing enough medicine to treat 1500 adults and children.  The medicine, contained in boxes known as Physician Travel Packs (PTP's)were supplied by Health Partners International of Canada.

To learn more about Health Partners please go to their website at the following link: Health Partners International of Canada.

The medicines were delivered in March 2003, June 2004, June 2006 and May 2008 to rural hospitals and clinics in northern Malawi. 

"STEPHANIE'S KITCHEN"


While in Malawi in March 2003, Stephanie visited a rural hospital where the kitchen was in need of repair, especially the roof.  This kitchen was used by the families to cook for the patients. It All Started With The Shoes was able to raise enough funds to build a whole new Nutrition Center with 2 kitchens - one for cooking patients' meals and the other for teaching mothers how to add nutrients to food to help keep their families healthier.  Stephanie was very honoured that they named it after her

Original Shoe Project


1200 pairs of 'gently used' shoes were collected from Montreal area elementary schools, sorted, and sent to Malawi by container to be distributed to needy families.  Some of the shoes made their way to rural villages in Northern Malawi where they were distributed to AIDS orphans, as well as adults who were thrilled to be receiving the first pair of shoes they had ever owned.