Sandals Drive 2020

On November 23 and 25, Mahim Aboli Foundation distributed more than one hundred sandals to students from four ZP schools. 

At first thought, shoes may not seem all that important. After all, they seem to be accessories taken for granted. We observed that many of the children lacked proper foot attire for everyday use, often going barefoot to get to places. Some students didn’t even have footwear for the Mumbai field trip! Proper shoes offer support, stability and protection.

In partnership with Mr. Dhiraj G. Raut, an entrepreneur and founder of Shri Krishna Ventures, and Chinmay J. Raut, a practising lawyer in Palghar, we contacted Amity Leather International to supply us with sandals. We specifically chose adjustable strap sandals which were open in the front so that the children wouldn’t have shoe bites.

All the sandals were sponsored by Mr Dhiraj of Shri Krishna Ventures and Adv. Chinmay Raut. We are immensely grateful for their generosity.

We received the consignment of sandals before Diwali. At this time, there was a discussion between the village council and ZP school teachers about whether schools would reopen. The ZP schools have been closed since March when the COVID-19 lockdown was first announced. The final decision was they would remain closed until January 2021 when another meeting would be called. Thus, Mahim Aboli Foundation decided to distribute the sandals after Diwali when students were most likely to return from visiting relatives and be home. 

Board members Shubhada More and Rajvi Patil organised and distributed the sandals to all four schools—Temki Paada, Das Gao, Tal Paada and Dhavange Paada. 

The moment we entered the class with a sack of sandals, the kids cheered and welcomed us. Each one had the same twinkle in their eyes as I helped them to try several sandals for the best fit...it took me back in time when my kids were younger. But this time there were no tantrums about shoe style or colour! These kids are such gems. These kids deserve so much more than what we are able to give. — Rajvi Patil

During distribution, we realised some students had feet bigger or smaller than the sizes we had received from the company. We are in the process of replacing and redistributing these pairs. 

We hope to continue distributing footwear to the students every two years.