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Peter Kazickas Moves Forward with SoleMate Project
03/22/2016
Few years ago, one of eleven Dr. Joseph and Alexandra Kazickas' grandchildren. Peter Kazickas, read Blake's Mycoskie's (TOMs Founder) book, "Start Something That Matters." "I finally decided to stop planning and just do it," said Peter and that's where SoleMate project between Zimbabwe, US and Lithuania started.
In January 2016, Peter and his brother Augustine packed twelve pairs of personalized shoes with handwritten notes from kids in the US and Lithuania and personally delivered them to twelve kids in Zimbabwe.
"Essentially the SoleMate Project works as follows:" explains Peter. "We supply kids with blank canvas shoes to draw on and personalize however they like. We take a picture of them with their shoes and package them together with a handwritten note. Then we deliver the shoes to kids who need them in Zimbabwe, and give those kids a chance to draw on a pair, and attach a picture and letter to send back.
The idea is to connect children of the first and third worlds and teach the powers of generosity and friendship. We believe in the power of reciprocity as well. People of the third world are often the recipient of foreign aid and it's important to enable them to give as well. And connecting friends from around the world is a huge plus.
Our first workshop connected kids from the US, Lithuania, and Zimbabwe. Our second will connect kids from the US and Lithuania and the planning is currently underway."
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Photos: Courtesy of Peter Kazickas