Found your other pair of TOMS!

I always wondered where that free pair of TOMS shoes goes once you purchase the quite pricy pair in the US. Well, I guess I found it :)

I've been seeing many kids walking around Lusaka to school in TOMS. I sneakily snapped this picture at a hairdresser's shop in the Ngombe slum where I noticed the shoes on these twin girls (there are tons of twins in Zambia by the way). In the current dusty conditions (or muddy in the rainy season), and especially walking and playing in the often trashed streets of Ngombe, having a pair of shoes is essential to avoid cuts and contracting foot parasites.

I surfed around a little bit to find out how the kicks get to their owners, and I found some interesting info on TOMS Zambia website. Thousands of TOMS shoes are distributed every year to children in both rural and urban communities in Zambia via partnership with World Vision.

I have met many people here who were forced to walk to school barefooted, especially those growing up in the village. My friend Paul Walia, who currently runs a school for orphaned children in Kabanana, used to walk 30 kilometers to and from school every day for 9 years with no footwear. Initiatives such as TOMS help kids get education and avoid foot injuries on a daily basis. Amazing how a pair of shoes bought in the States can go that far. It surely makes your step in TOMS much lighter.