Shoes for little ones

Mayan Families operates seven preschools that also act as nutritional centers. The kids receive breakfast, milk, vitamins, and fruit every day at school. This is huge, considering most kids go an entire day just eating tortillas and drinking weak coffee.

Part of my job is to track any health needs that our preschoolers have. This usually involves coordinating doctor visits, following up on any illnesses, connecting our schools with traveling clinics, and doing wellness check-ups every so often. We try to address all of their physical needs, which includes proper foot protection. Shoes here can get pretty bad.

It's always a treat to go to the preschools and hand out shoes to our preschoolers. They are usually in awe at the mountain of shoes we bring and they get pretty excited at the idea of having new shoes.

Apparently shoes taste good too!

And sometimes they get scared. They're just not used to seeing so many white people, I guess.

Often, it's a smelly job. Most of the shoes we give away are used from the US. So we have to sort through them all to find a good fit. But the really smelly part is often when you sit the preschooler on the table and take of his or her shoes to see what size they are. It's not uncommon for a child to be wearing shoes that are 2 or 3 sizes too big or too small. So you never know the actual size until you pull of their shoes.

They also very rarely wear socks. So their little feet are dirty and sweaty and often smelly. Sometimes the older ones get embarrassed and try to hide their feet. But once they actually get their new pair of shoes in their hands then everyone is happy. They carry their new shoes around and don't put them down all morning. They show their new prize to the other kids and to the teachers and it's adorable.

Those days of passing out shoes have taught me many things. One, I have way too many shoes. I buy them too easily and without much thought. Two, I should spend more time being grateful for what I have and less time thinking of what I want. Three, I want to live more by need than by want. I don't know if I've ever "needed" another pair of shoes. My shopping is more frequently driven by want than need. But I'd like to start living and buying and thinking more by need than by want.
Whenever work gets stressful or life gets heavy, I try to get away to one of our preschools. Even if the kids don't know me or recognize me, they always greet me as if I was their best friend; with lots of hugs and smiles and hand holding.