University Times

The Pitt Volunteer Pool and Student Volunteer Outreach have joined a city-wide effort to aid the child of Nicaragua by providing them with shoes.

According to Volunteer Pool coordinator Steve Zupcic, the drive is in response to an appeal by the Nicaraguan Minister of Education to improve education in his country.

More than 100,000 Nicaraguan children do not receive the most minimal education because they are ashamed to attend school in their bare feet.

"They obviously live in a climate where they don't really need shoes," Zupcic said. "But there is the cultural issue of feeling they should have shoes to go to school. "Indeed," he continued, "their families feel enough shame that they don't allow them to be educated. That continues a cycle of very deep poverty for both the individuals and for the country." Pitt, the Bayer Corp., Giant Eagle and Duquesne University are hoping to collect 80,000 pairs of used and new shoes for the children of Nicaragua by Nov. 21.

"So many people throw away perfectly good children's shoes just because their kids have outgrown them," Zupcic noted. "The children of Nicaragua would be grateful to have these shoes which would then remove the barrier of shame at being barefoot, thus permitting them to attend school." Collection boxes have been placed in the Cathedral of Learning, Craig Hall, Forbes Quadrangle, the Graduate School of Public Health, Hillman Library, Katz Graduate School of Business, Langley Hall, Scaife Hall, School of Information Sciences, Litchfield Towers' lobby and the William Pitt Union.

The shoe drive is the latest in a series of efforts by Pittsburghers to help Nicaragua. Pitt volunteers also have assisted Global Links in preparing surplus medical supplies for shipment to that country, while other Pittsburghers have helped to establish the Roberto Clemente Health Clinic in the northern section of the country.

–Mike Sajna