Thousands of new shoes gifted to Armenian children

Staff and volunteers shared in distributing shoes to needy children around Armenia.

The Paros Foundation’s ‘Share-a-Pair’ charity has successfully distributed more than 25,000 pairs of new shoes to Armenia's most needy children.

“Share-a-Pair embarked on the daunting task of putting shoes on the feet of children in Armenia’s most isolated and economically-challenged villages and regions,” said Foundation Executive Director, Peter Abajian.

Thanks to the support of generous sponsors and a major US shoe manufacturer, Paros Foundation staff, non-governmental organisations and volunteers from Armenia, Sweden and the US distributed footwear to children in orphanages and boarding schools around the country. Volunteers from Armenia, Sweden and the United States joined together in this ambitious distribution effort which utilised kindergartens and schools as distribution centres. The footwear was then taken to children in orphanages and boarding schools in 14 cities and more than 100 villages over a three-month period.

“Working to get shoes to children in the villages was exhausting,” remarked Kristen Abajian, Co-founder of Share-a-Pair. “Long drives on terrible roads, beautiful scenery and difficult conditions in the villages made this experience an emotional one for all of us. Seeing happy children and smiling faces made it all worthwhile.”

The Share-a-Pair team has now launched an effort called ‘Operation Winter Boots’ to put warm footwear on the feet of needy Armenian children.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 4 of the October 2012 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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