My Son Now Walks Joyfully, No Longer Suffering from Bleeding Feet: These Shoes Gave Him More Than Comfort… They Restored His Dignity.

**THE SHOE RECYCLER WHO DELIVERED 15,000+ PAIRS**
My name is Sia Godika.
This journey began at 13 in Bengaluru, India.
In Koramangala, my neighborhood, I watched construction workers labor barefoottheir feet cracked, burned by debris. Their children played without protection. That sight stayed with me.
At home, I opened my closet. There were unused shoes gathering dust. Why hoard them when others needed them more?
Thats how *Sole Warriors* started. I believed discarded shoes shouldnt go to waste but could be recycled, giving someone dignity.
With my parents help, I rallied my school. Posters, WhatsApp groups, volunteerswithin a month, we collected 500 pairs. Our team grew: 15, then 30, then hundreds. We gathered everything from flip-flops to school shoes, restored by volunteers and cobblers.
Today, weve given 15,000+ pairs to barefoot communities.
Returning to that neighborhood, I saw children striding to school in polished, repaired shoes. A mother told me, *My son used to come home bleeding. Now he walks with pride.*
Winning the Diana Award surprised mebut I dont do this for trophies. No child should endure pain just to learn.
*Donating one pair seems small
But dignity climbs step by step.*
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**Bonus**
*Sole Warriors* became more than shoesit bridged gaps between privilege and need. Children who once received our shoes now write to me. One girl shared, *With those shoes, I didnt feel poor. I belonged.*
We partner with schools and NGOs, promoting recycling. Unusable shoes are repurposed, cutting waste.
My dream? Take *Sole Warriors* globalwhere every unused shoe finds new feet.
Because this isnt just about footwear.
Its about moving forward, one step at a time.