LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- Today we met the man who is behind the process of turning water into shoes.
Beginning in 1998, George Hutchings of St. Louis, began visiting Kenya, on a mission to fight hunger in that country. He also brought clothing and essentials for the impoverished. But, as the years went by, he wasn't satisfied with his results. No matter how hard he tried, people were still hungry and millions were still in need.
In 2008, he had an epiphany. He had learned that he could gather up old shoes, where they could be bundled and sent to developing countries, where they were sold for pennies. The money collected would go a lot further if it could be used to provide clean water to the people of Kenya.
Clean water wells would mean lives saved, crops that would flourish, and livestock that would multiply. In short, shoes into water could change the world. Thus, the Shoe Man was created.
He came to Little Rock to speak to the weekly luncheon meeting of City Connections, an organization to help non profits get off the ground. His local affiliate in Central Arkansas, is the Ozark water Project, which has begun the process of collecting shoes here.
The next stop for all this is Haiti, where before the earthquake, 45% of Haitians were without clean water. Clean and purified water is desperately needed there.
To donate shoes in Central Arkansas call:501-353-1369.
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