WATCH: Okanagan charity sends shoes to Ghana

KELOWNA — The Canadian division of the Soles 4 Souls charity has shipped over 25 thousand shoes to Ghana.

Some of those will go to men, women, and children who do not have the luxury of owning a pair of shoes.

But this time around, most of the shoes were bought by a not-for-profit charity partner which helps people in communities start their own businesses.

Soles 4 Souls CEO, Buddy Teaster, says creating jobs for people who live in poverty is just as important as putting shoes on their feet.

“They can sell the shoes locally and that’s how they earn an income. In places where unemployment may be 70 percent, there are no jobs to be had. This allows to create a job for themselves and lifts themselves and their families out of poverty”.

The charity has distributed over 25 million shoes worldwide since 2006 and the Canadian division has contributed over 440 thousand pairs of shoes in the last five years.