STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

An organization founded by an Idahoan has one day to raise $20,000 to meet a matching grant that would raise money for life-changing shoes for 9,000 children.

Because International raised its first $25,000 during a week-long drive for a matching donation on Friday with the help of Sun Valley Community School students. It has $20,000 left of a matching $45,000 to raise.

The Shoe That Grows is a durable, expandable shoe that is designed to grow five sizes and last for years. With shoes, the Kenyan children are less vulnerable to injury, disease and the stigma that keeps many of them from attending school, said Jeanne Liston, a Wood River Valley resident who serves as director of Donor Relations for Because International.

Each pair costs $10 and Because International is trying to raise enough money for 9,000 pair. With the matching donation, one $10 gift can provide shoes for two children, Liston said.

Because International believes that education is a pathway out of poverty and shoes help make that possible.

Sun Valley Community School eighth-graders partnered with Because International to raise funds for children in rural Kenya during its annual Shoe the World Day campaign by holding a Bake Sale on Friday.

Naomi Goldberg’s 8th grade Humanities Class hosted the bake sale on campus.

They had a goal of $300 and ended up raising $589.

The effort is a natural extension of their coursework, as students have been studying African geography and leadership, exploring what it means to live a meaningful life. Goldberg saw Because International as a fitting real-world capstone to their term.

“Thanks to the match, the Community School kids funds will be doubled, meaning they will provide The Shoe That Grows to 117 children in rural Kenya,” said Liston. “It fills my heart to think that somewhere in rural Kenya, a child will go to school, run, and play in safety and dignity because students in our own community made it happen. Pretty inspiring.”

Those who would like to make a donation may do so at https://becauseinternational.org/. Donations will be doubled today--Sunday, March 15.

"In Busia County, Kenya, where the shoes will be distributed, between 60 percent and 80 percent of children lack proper footwear," said Liston. "Some children walk up to five kilometers each way to school, navigating hot ground, thorns, and sharp rocks. The Shoe That Grows allows them to travel safely to school, protecting them from injury and giving them access to education for years to come."

The Shoe That Grows was invented by Idahoan Kenton Lee who saw the need while working at an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. A half-million pair have been distributed to children in 120 countries since 2007.