Himalayan porters and the SMU students at the presentation event

Himalayan porters receiving their shoes

Over 100 pairs of feet in the East Himalayas will be happier as a result of a joint collaboration by Jet Airways and specialty running store, Running Lab, to supple pre-loved sports shoes to porters in a project called ‘Love Sneaker’.

Over a one month period, the donation of used sneakers in exchange for gift vouchers by Running Lab saw over 1000 pairs collected by the end of October 2011.  These sneakers were then delivered by Jet Airways and dispatched by a group of students from Singapore Management University (SMU) to the porters and drivers based in the popular Sandakphu trek on the Singalila ridge.

With a highest point at 12000 ft, Sandakphu in the Singalila National Park is the most popular trek in the East Himalaya.  This area is usually serviced by porters, guides, landrover drivers and tea-house hosts, who live below the poverty line and can hardly afford good shoes to beat the terrain and climate.

Although it is common for individual tourists to leave clothing or shoes with their porters, this was the first such organized effort of its kind, reinforcing Jet Airways’ initiative on supporting voluntarism.

“We are very pleased that our combined efforts with Running Lab, Help Tourism and the SMU students have helped to improve the working conditions of these porters in the rural areas of India. This serves to enhance our eco-adventures mission in incorporating the three core objectives of social responsibility, environmental policy and economic sustainability,” Jet Airways Regional Sales & Marketing Manager Jayne Low said.

There are approximately 45 – 50 mountain porters on the trek who brave the unpredictable and harsh weather, carrying baggage and heavy loads for trekkers.   Most of the porters are below the poverty line, and unable to afford protection gears from the cold.  In some cases footwear consists of wearing flip-flops and a plastic bag as protection from the rain, leaving the porters vulnerable to safety and health hazards as well as inadequate warmth from damp and thin clothes.

The shoes collected will provide them with a safer working condition and much warmer feet.