Sharing shoes, helping athletes, building communities

Imagine turning up for your big event in bare feet.

That is the reality for many people in Malawi, for whom a pair of trainers is simply too expensive. With the average wage at $2 a day, the idea of new sports kit is a luxury few can afford.

ShoeShare partners with over 200 villages in northern Malawi to provide good quality used trainers to aspiring young athletes. As well as improving performance and reducing injuries, good quality kit greatly increases player confidence and team spirit. Shoes are also used as prizes to reward teams and as a thank you to volunteers who help elsewhere in the community.

Help share your love of sport by donating your unwanted trainers to us. You're not only helping other athletes but also reducing landfill and clearing out your cupboards as well.

What we do
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What we need:

  • gently worn/nearly new running shoes (all types), size 4+

  • football boots (any size)

  • other trainers suitable for sport


Please ensure shoes are dry, clean(ish) and tied together to avoid pairs becoming separated.

We cannot accept fashion shoes, walking boots or t-shirts.


DONATE

ShoeShare is an initiative of ZMCP, the Zambia and Malawi Community Partnership, UK registered charity number 1136225.
Donations to ShoeShare go directly to shipping costs.

Collections calendar 2024
Upcoming race collections

28-29 September Dig Deep Trail Weekend
https://www.digdeeprace.com/
26-27 October Original Mountain Marathon
55th OMM 2024 - OMM (theomm.com)
28 October Jedburgh 3 Peaks Ultra https://www.jedburghthreepeaksultra.org.uk/


Want to host a collection at your event? Just drop us a line at hello@shoesharemalawi.org

Other collection points

Frequently asked questions

Who do the shoes go to?
The shoes go to our community partner, Tafika. Tafika runs a sports academy in northern Malawi which develops talented young athletes aged 14 and up, coaching them to regional and national level. At present, the academy includes volleyball, netball, football and athletics.

Why are you sending shoes all the way to Malawi?

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with most people surviving on less than £2 a day. A new pair of sports shoes is equivalent to three months’ salary – simply not affordable for the vast majority of people. Good quality sports shoes are hard to find in Malawi. Most trainers are low-grade imports which don’t last long and are made for fashion, not sport. Scotland has a strong relationship with Malawi, dating back to 1859 when the explorer and anti-slave campaigner David Livingstone first visited.
How do the shoes get from Scotland to Malawi?

We work with a charity partner, The Banana Box Trust, which sends the shoes from Dundee in Scotland by sea in shipping containers. The journey takes approximately three months. Containers usually go twice a year, depending on how many donations are gathered.

Is it cost-effective?

Shipping is the cheapest way of sending goods. We box the shoes as efficiently as possible to make best use of space – it works out at roughly £2 per pair of shoes sent.

What about the environment?

By sending shoes from the UK which may otherwise be thrown away, we are extending their lifespan and supporting reuse. The shoes are used several years and, even when worn out are often recycled for other purposes, including rubber fishing floats! As for transport, sending the shoes by sea is most efficient and lowest impact method.

What kind of shoes do you need?

Training shoes suitable for volleyball, netball and football. Shoes should be in good condition, with plenty of life left in the soles and uppers. Minor wear and tear including small holes is acceptable. As well as being suitable to train and compete in, the shoes are a big boost to athlete morale so please consider this when donating.

How many shoes do you need?

As many as we can get! We support over 200 teams and as players grow, more shoes are needed. They are also used as prizes at competitions and as thank yous to volunteers.

Do you work in other regions?

At present we are focused on the district of Ekwendeni in northern Malawi but have potential to expand to other areas. Our current focus is on Malawi, thanks to the relationships we have with our partners on the ground plus the long-standing relationship between our two countries.

What is ShoeShare Malawi?

We are a charitable initiative which supports talented athletes in Malawi by sending good quality used sports shoes from the UK. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, where most people live off less than £2 a day.

Working through the Zambia and Malawi Community Partnership we support sports development in the north of the country by shipping second-hand trainers to young athletes. ​

It's very hard to find good quality sports equipment in Malawi and that which is available is unaffordable for most (a new pair of trainers costs the equivalent of three months' salary). As a result, most players wear flip flops, old sandals or even play in bare feet. Owning a good pair of trainers is, quite literally, a game-changer and provides motivation for teams as well as helping improve performance and prevent injury.

Volunteering

ShoeShare is run entirely by a small group of volunteers. We need more people to help equip the thousands of athletes in the Malawian clubs. If you can help in the following ways we'd love to hear from you:​

  • Attending shoe collection events (e.g. races)

  • Logistical support to relocate donated shoes to our storage locations in Peebles, Edinburgh, or Dundee

  • Promotion of ShoeShare through digital channels (social media), print media (i.e. PR via writing press releases)​

  • Fundraising

We are happy to reimburse travel costs.

How can I get involved?

By donating shoes! We need trainers (for volleyball, netball and athletics) and football boots size 4 and up. They don't need to be in perfect condition but do need enough life left in them for training and competing. You can do this by:

  • Dropping shoes at one of our collection points

  • Setting up a collection at your club, school, event or office

  • Organising fundraising events to contribute to shipping costs

It costs us around £2 to send one pair of trainers from Scotland to Tafika in Northern Malawi - not bad when you consider it's a journey of over 5,000 miles! A £2 donation helps ensure the shoes reach Malawi quickly and can be put to good use on the pitch.​

If you're interested in organising your own collection, please get in touch with us and we can support you throughout the process.

How does it work?

We collect shoes from across Scotland through sports clubs, races and fixtures, festivals and collection points in gyms, sports shops and schools. Volunteers then take them to our shipping partner in Dundee, where they are transported by ship and road to Tafika Sports Academy in Malawi.

Tafika is a community initiative focused on youth development, sustainability and behaviour change. The sports academy works with over 500 local villages and schools to select talented young athletes of high-school age to coach to regional and national level. Through sport, children are also taught health education, resilience and social enterprise (for example, by planting crops in return for receiving kit and coaching)..

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