Mona in Nigeria's National Daily Newspaper

Hairdressing to Touching Humanity

by: Ahaoma Kanu

Why I share out shoes to the less privileged — Mona Purdy (American Founder of Share Your Soles NGO). It took just a visit to a third world country where she went to help do some fund raising and a sight she saw moved her out from being a celebrity hairdresser to becoming an Angel of sort to millions of children and people around the world who have benefited from her NGO, Share Your Sole which distributes shoes free of charge to people around the world. Mona Purdy is not just a pretty lady with a beautiful heart from Chicago, she is your everyday buddy that really enjoys touching the life of the next person. She spoke to Ahaoma Kanu in this chat on her last visit to Nigeria.

Tell us how you started Share Your Soles?
It started in 1999; friends of mine in Guatemala requested my help in obtaining supplies like cycling tape and water bottles for their cycling team. I have a reputation of being resourceful person and I raised the funds for them through donations of friends and neighbors. Instead of mailing the goods to them, I decided the take the trip to Guatemala because the cost to mail these items was more expensive than a plane ticket. Upon my arrival with the supplies, I entered a half marathon in a small village. I noticed the children cheering us on had painted hot tar on their feet instead of wearing shoes because they didn't have anything to protect their feet. As a result of this practice, many of the children were having health problems. It was pointed out to me by a traveling orthopedic surgeon that he would not need to travel to region as much to perform limb amputations if the children had proper shoes. This inspired me, so when I got back home I started gathering as many shoes as I could from neighborhood schools and families. The response was overwhelming and I brought the shoes to an orphanage in Guatemala. I figured my good deed was done but as I was leaving one of the workers at the orphanage asked me when I was coming back. I wasn't going to return but on the flight home, I kept hearing lyrics from a Diane Ross song, “Reach and touch someone's hand make this world a better place if you can.” I could and decided I needed to take action.

You have been distributing shoes to developing countries for sometime now, what were the initial challenges you with this project?
When I realized I was going to commit to providing shoes to those in need, my passion overcame any challenges. People responded with overwhelming enthusiasm to the cause.

How were you able to overcome the fear of having to stay many weeks outside your home away from your family?
To venture to the unknown was actually quite exciting to me. Sure, not having hot water, a warm bed and air conditioning can be a drag but I was overcome the fact I was making a difference in people's lives.

How did you get to initiate the Share Your Sole charity and how many staff did you start with when you took off?
For the first four years I operated Share your Soles out of my house with one office volunteer. Kids would to come by house daily to help sort and box the shoes. Currently there are six full time employees and about 200 to 500 kids who volunteer to process, pack, wash and prepare shoes for shipment around the world.

This might sound funny but for a hairdresser that wakes up one morning and wants to start giving out shoes to millions; did anybody think you were going crazy or something?
They still think I'm crazy! Crazy can change the world but results speak for themselves. In 11 years, I've opened over 40 locations around the world and we have hand delivered over a million pairs of shoes to people need.

Tell me how you felt when you gave the first pairs of shoes to the people in need of them?
It was empowering when I gave away my first pair of shoes because I felt like I was taking action about a very serious problem in these people's lives. I still feel that way today.

How do you identify communities and countries that need shoes?
We do research about the communities, I get contacted every week by about fifteen communities around the world and based on my research we decide where we send the shoes. After move forward with the supplying the shoes there's logistical planning of how we can distribute the shoes in an efficient manner.

You were one of the first callers when the Tsunami hit Asia with shoes and you received an award from a organization in Sri Lanka were you landed; do you have a structure that responds with such speed and how did you achieve that?
We keep a huge inventory of shoes in our 400,000 square foot warehouse and we've able to respond very quickly to natural disasters. When the Tsunami hit, I was on the ground within 48 hours.

How do you cope with the weather and the poverty level that some of the places you visit for your work?
When believe in what you've doing no obstacles is too big, you see beyond any discomfort. Kenya was the most memorable; many of the kids had seen a white person and live the same way as they have for hundreds of years. The were untouched by modern civilization.

How do your three kids cope with your constant absence?
Not well, it's hard on them especially when I go to dangerous places. Sometimes I get sick from the places I go; I've had dengue fever and also received parasites from the drinking water in some of these communities.

You were in Nigeria recently, tell us what happened when you arrived?
The response of the locals was overwhelming; Schools closed because they heard there were shoes kids were walking for miles at prospect of receiving shoes. I will be returning to Nigeria soon with more shoes and desperately needed handicapped gear for the kids.

Supposing a community needs your service, how can they get to you?
All they need to do is email and we will review the community.

For how long would you hope to be doing this?
I want this to continue indefinitely, way past when I have left the earth.

As a former hairdresser, do you still have time for hairdressing?
Yes, I still cut hair for a select clientele. I still like doing it and I have some great customers too.