Winter has arrived in North Korea, and the weather outside is freezing. Unfortunately, many children in the DPRK do not have basic supplies such as adequate shoes to protect them from frostbite and hypothermia.

In the winter of 2009, when our team visited some orphanages and kindergartens in the Northern region of the DPRK, we noticed that many children were still wearing canvas shoes typically worn in summer months. It pained us to know that these children were without proper footwear throughout the long, harsh winters that could reach -22°F (-30°C). This started our shoe donation project, and Sharing Warmth was birthed in 2010.

Both snow boots and sports shoes are manufactured in the DPRK in the Northern region of Rason. The shoes are then delivered to Pyongyang to the local NGO known as the Korean Education Fund (KEF). KEF then distributes the shoes to orphanages and schools all over the country.

The shoe donation project has helped us build relationships with many local people. The relationship with Korea Education Fund (KEF) has grown over the years through regular communication and working together. Due to monitoring trips we conduct once shoes have been delivered, we have visited the schools and orphanages that received our donations. This has allowed us, in turn, to get to know the principals, teachers and children at these centers. On several occasions, we revisited the same schools and were happy to see familiar smiles on their faces. 

While global sanctions are in enforcement, basic needs of food and clothing are not a part of the sanctions. Therefore, there are fewer restrictions hindering the delivery of essential aid to the children of the DPRK. As a result, Ignis Community has been providing winter boots since 2010 to approximately 110,000+ children in North Korean orphanages and kindergartens. Throughout all the provinces of North Korea, an average of 12,000 children a year have each received a pair of shoes as we hope to reach millions more in North Korea each year.

Despite the many hardships and obstacles we have had to overcome as an organization to keep working in the DPRK, we are privileged to have been able to provide much-needed shoes and clothing for children in remote, rural areas of the country. In fact, the Sharing Warmth project is celebrating ten years of providing shoe donations to children in the DPRK!

Those of us in the Western Hemisphere have many shoes on our shelves: Black shoes, brown shoes, sneakers, high heels, dress shoes, casual shoes and many other shoes, each for a specific occasion. While we worry about which type of shoe we should choose to wear, there are people in this world, especially children, who are struggling to simply just find and wear one pair of durable shoes.

Many children in North Korea are faced with this challenge every year. Not only do they often lack a pair of durable shoes, but, as stated, the harsh winter temperatures present even bigger challenges. Sadly, this year has been especially difficult for the children as the country had had to deal with the worldwide pandemic, natural disasters, as well as economic hardship.

However, when you donate you are helping a child in North Korea develop safely and healthily. In fact, you can restore their smile this winter with just $13 USD! Donating one pair of shoes covers everything from the production of the shoes to the monitoring and verification of these shoe distribution. Would you partner with us for this great purpose?

You will be gifting a warm and bright future for a child in North Korea. For more information, go to: https://igniscommunity.org/shoedonation2020