OUR STORY
A few things that really stayed with me from my 2012 visit to Northern Africa: the heat, the friendly locals, and the fact that I seemed to be in a plastic wasteland. Grocery bags littered the side of the road and hung from the trees. Native camels and the indigenous wildlife have suffocated on them for as long as our driver could remember. Heaps of tires, plastic, and other discarded items were piled high in a far-off garbage hill, where the only solution of disposal was to fire. On “burn days,” our base and the nearby villages filled the air with a thick, stinging, and carcinogenic haze. Mission permitting, we could volunteer at one of the local orphanages; one for infants and the other for children. The able children played soccer on a rock-filled, dirt field. Most had sandals, some had shoes, others had nothing. What broke my heart most - some of them wore just one... I realized their logic, "one shoe is better than none."
Upon returning to the States, a University class required me to brainstorm problems that needed solutions. I pondered for days thinking about innovative technology and software needs, apps, products, problems with healthcare, and education. I wanted to pursue something big, but to do this I knew it had to be something I was passionate about. Those two major issues from Africa stole my heart: pollution and kids without shoes. Why not take something everyone uses, plastic and tires, and turn it into something that everyone needs: shoes and understanding. Savanna Sandals is about bringing awareness, educating people on global issues and giving them the chance to give back. It doesn’t take much, just each person doing a little where they can. We hope when you wear your Savanna’s, they are a constant reminder: one is always better than none.
- Kerrie Gill
