This is a really interesting conversation that was also covered by Foreign Policy as well.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/11/haiti_doesnt_need_your_old_tshirt The article and the comments are pretty interesting. Thought I'd share it with you guys. Best, Mustafa On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 8:08 PM, Yaw Anokwa <yanokwa at gmail.com> wrote: > Re: Shoes destroying economies > > I don't have any data on local shoe production. The closest thing I've > found has to do with clothing. In "Used-Clothing Donations and Apparel > Production in Africa", Frazer reports, "Used-clothing imports are > found to have a negative impact on apparel production in Africa, > explaining roughly 40% of the decline in production and 50% of the > decline in employment over the period 1981?2000." > http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02190.x/full > > Re: Why not do both kinds of aid > > The world only has so many resources (money, time, attention, etc) to > devote to problems. Why spend the time and energy on things that we > know don't make a difference (but do make us feel good about > ourselves). That is, maybe we should be focusing on getting local > workers to build latrines and wells instead of using those same > resources to ship shoes and shirts to Africa. > > > On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 18:08, judy wawira <judywawira at gmail.com> wrote: > > Hello > > > > I am from East Africa, and my family could afford shoes. Unfortunately at > > one point in primary (for 2 years) I had to go to school barefoot because > > that was what my headteacher thought was a good school policy. > > > > later on as a clinician working in many remote parts of the country, > > including Narok among Maasai community famous for wearing the 'Akalas' > > (http://www.uzanunua.com/listing/5324-akala-open-shoes/) ; at one point > a > > fashion statement, I am yet to see anyone die from hookworm infestation > > > > Malnutrition, pneumonia, measles, malaria, Diarrhoea diseases remain > leading > > killers of under 5 year olds. And ultimately better facilities with > oxygen > > and critical care, safe and efficient blood processing facilities, and > > provision of essential drugs may avert these untimely deaths. The > solution > > is not as simple as my statement, but 3 monthly deworming of children as > > part of schools programs i think can better control diseases like > hookworm > > without having people walk barefoot. > > > > I think its time to get our priorities right, there are real problems > that > > we can help in these areas and leave people feeling dignified. > > > > My 2 cents > > > > Judy > > > > On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 8:29 PM, Nathan Barthel > > <nbarthel at codedincountry.org> wrote: > >> > >> A thought or two: > >> > >> 1. "going barefoot is the least of the concerns of folks who > >> live in these communities where health and employment are the biggest > >> problems" - The website actually lists health as a major reason why > they > >> want to supply shoes. You mention East Africa and Hookworm is a real > >> problem there: > >> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hookworm_disease_world_map_-_DALY_-_WHO2002.svg > >> There are long term impacts to an individual who is left untreated for > >> hookworm and can potential stunt someones both physical and mental > >> development. Clearly not a good thing for 'development'. > Additionally, the > >> disease is spread by not wearing shoes and stepping in contaminated > matter - > >> this wouldn't be a problem if they were wearing shoes. > >> > >> 2. I've heard the argument before that giving T-shirts or shoes etc > >> destroy the local economy. I understand the logic, but does anyone > have a > >> source or data to back it up? And why can't their be room for both? > >> Someone who is focused on giving and someone else who is focused on > >> building the economy etc. Does giving shoes really destroy a local > economy? > >> > >> > >> 3. I remember quite well the whole 'million t-shirts for Africa' I'm > >> not going to write what I want to, but essentially I felt the whole > thing > >> was juvenile. On all sides. It seemed like some sort of peculiar 'turf > >> war' over development. > >> > >> Anyway, I suppose my ultimate thought is that this might not be the most > >> effective form of 'development' but I'm not sure how much it really > matters. > >> I'm certainly more of a 'trade' guy, but I think there is room for > both. > >> Essentially, are the shoes or t-shirts for > >> Tanzania or Bangladesh or Bolivia really a problem that needs to be > >> addressed? And, my second thought is that it appears to me that getting > >> people shoes who don't have them and/or perhaps simply encouraging their > >> wear, might ultimately be pretty helpful in combating some > >> serious disease problems - and therefore development as well. > >> > >> Ok. I'm done. Just drove for 10 hours and was feeling punchy. > >> -Nate > >> > >> > >> On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 5:24 PM, Yaw Anokwa <yanokwa at gmail.com> wrote: > >>> > >>> I got an email today about TOMS One Day Without Shoes. > >>> > >>> According to http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com, today is "the day we > >>> spread awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child?s > >>> life by taking off our own. Why? Millions of children live without > >>> proper footwear, exposing them to injury and disease every day." > >>> > >>> I think this is a reasonable thing for our community to discuss, so > >>> I've put my response to that email below. Any thoughts on One Day > >>> Without Shoes or the TOMS model? I'd love some pushback... > >>> > >>> ---------------------------------------- > >>> > >>> As your friendly neighborhood global development cynic, I should point > >>> out that in places I've worked (mostly East Africa), shoes are widely > >>> available and very affordable. Even if shoes were not readily > >>> available, going barefoot is the least of the concerns of folks who > >>> live in these communities where health and employment are the biggest > >>> problems. And so what makes this TOMS advertising campaign frustrating > >>> to me is that it's been shown that donations of clothing and shoes > >>> destroy economies in these very communities. > >>> > >>> This year there was a campaign called "A Day Without Dignity" that > >>> touched on some of these issues. > >>> > >>> "Why has it become so easy for people to start feel-good campaigns > >>> that no one asked for? There are a thousand things this village needs > >>> and nowhere on the list are t-shirts and shoes..." > >>> -- TMS Ruge from Uganda at > >>> > >>> > http://projectdiaspora.org/wp-content/2011/04/05/shoes-the-least-of-our-problems/ > >>> > >>> "TOMS, there are many ways for you to really make a difference. Invest > >>> in and share your expertise with local shoe businesses, leading to > >>> sustainable jobs. Donate some of your profits to support educational > >>> institutions, leading to more opportunities. These are things that > >>> people want, and promote their dignity. If you're not willing to do > >>> that, please drop your current marketing approach which oversells your > >>> impact, encourages self-absorbed charity, and is an affront to the > >>> dignity of the materially poor." > >>> -- Marshall Birkey at > >>> > >>> > http://marshallbirkey.com/economic-development/aidwars-toms-shoes-vs-dignity/ > >>> > >>> If you are interested, you can find out more at > >>> http://goodintents.org/in-kind-donations/a-day-without-dignity and > >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EaSlKqs6Fo > >>> > >>> I do think it's important to raise awareness, but it's also important > >>> to be cautious when it comes to issues of global development. It's > >>> almost always more complicated than it seems. > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> change mailing list > >>> change at change.washington.edu > >>> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> change mailing list > >> change at change.washington.edu > >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >> > > > > > > > > -- > > Judy > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > change mailing list > > change at change.washington.edu > > http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > > > > _______________________________________________ > change mailing list > change at change.washington.edu > http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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