For 13-year-old Panha, TOMS shoes mean more time spent in school working towards his dream of becoming a teacher.
Panha lives just outside Kampong Chhang City in Cambodia with his mother, grandmother and two younger brothers. He studies in Grade 5 at Vihear Luang Primary School and participates in IRD/Blumont’s McGovern-Dole Food for Education (FFE) Program. Most villagers are farmers, planting subsistence crops like rice or vegetables. Panha’s mother grows rice like many of their neighbors, but to supplement the family’s income she must also work in a garment factor.
“My parent are poor and could not prioritize shoes for me to go to school. I walk with flip-flop or bare feet which sometime got hurt or cut because of the road condition. I then was absent a day or two” says Panha.
A pair of shoes and training by IRD/Blumont during distribution play a major role in ensuring Panha spends more time in school.
He says, “IRD usually provide training on advantages of shoe-wearing during the distribution. I understand that the shoes prevent from soil-transmitted disease and protect my feet from burn or cut. It makes my feet clean, pretty and healthier. I am no longer absent from class because of foot injuries.”
Aside from injury or infection prevention, the shoes allow Panha to be social and active outside of class.
“The shoes always make me glad and I feel I am handsome. I can walk safely, play sport/exercises at schools and village and I am no longer get bored of the day. My parent and my grandparent frequently encourage me to go schools to get education as well as new shoes,” he says.
Panha’s school master, Mrs. Som Hienh, is sure of the positive impact the FFE Program has had on her student as well.
“Panha experienced hard work in study. IRD’s distributions of shoes, school kits, school meals and take-home ration is crucially important to release a great deal of his family’s expenses. As a result of IRD’s intervention, he comes to school more regularly. He has materials which are sufficient for a full school year,” she says.
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