In the heart of villages south of the Sahara Desert in Africa, many communities are grappling with the harsh realities of poverty, hunger, and disease. Among these problems, countless children struggle to grow up healthy as diseases claim their lives prematurely. One major culprit behind this tragedy is the “jigger flea.” These children walk one to two hours to school each day, crossing muddy and sandy terrains, their bare feet prone to quick wear and tear. The jigger fleas burrow into the wounds, causing painful sores that are left untreated, ultimately leading to debilitating illnesses or even amputations.
Captions: Children without shoes, their feet exposed to danger (Image/ “Saving Souls with Old Shoes” Line account)
“They need shoes,” Yu-Jen Yang said to himself upon learning the tragic facts. He then founded “Step30 International Ministries.” His epiphany struck him with a profound sense of purpose. After extensive investigation , he discovered that the average person in Taiwan owns three to five pairs of shoes, some of which are discarded after minimal use just because they are no longer in vogue. Thus, since 2015, the “Step30 International Ministries” organization has been collecting used footwears from across Taiwan and sending them to various African villages. These seemingly old shoes find new users as they save lives, and the initiative has raised additional funds to dig wells and build schools, ensuring safe drinking water and improving local education.
“The Man Who Pulled Me Out of a Aimless Life Path”
Caption: (Left) Yu-Jen Yang describing the “man who saved his life,” the Australian pastor, (Right) 18-year-old Yu-Jen Yang (Image/ 104 Career Power)
Yu-Jen Yang’s life was not always that of a charitable mastermind or a person with a heart overflowing with compassion. In fact, he was perceived as a societal underdog or a “small delinquent” in the eyes of many. Raised in a family of shoemakers, he lacked interest in academics from a young age. His father sent him to study in Australia during middle school, where he found himself roaming the streets, hanging out in bars, and mingling with diverse crowds, skateboarding, and doing graffiti as part of his everyday routine. Little did he know that a chance encounter with a heavily tattooed man who turned out to be a local pastor would change his life forever. Curious, he accepted the pastor’s invitation to his home and soon found himself building strong bonds with the tattooed punks of the church, a group he humorously refers to as his “soul buddies.”
This serendipitous encounter later became the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” It led him away from a confused lifestyle and introduced him to faith. After becoming a church group leader, Yu-Jen Yang left his doors unlocked and welcomed young people into his humble, tiny apartment with open arms. His small living space was often filled with these wandering youth, whom he jokingly referred to as “a pile of bodies” he had to carefully navigate around every night.
“God Uses Willing Hearts, Not Perfect People”
Years later, back in Taiwan, Yu-Jen Yang married his Canadian wife, and they both devoted themselves to serving at the church. His father-in-law, a missionary working in Africa, mentioned during one of their conversations, “The children there have such radiant smiles, but their feet are all rotten.” Seeing photos of these children’s decaying feet on his father-in-law’s phone sparked something within Yu-Jen Yang. He wondered, why not donate the surplus shoes that so many people in Taiwan possess? A single person could own three to five pairs, and some even had ten or twenty! So why not send some of these shoes over to Africa?
In 2014, Yu-Jen Yang and his wife posted this issue on social media, and the response was overwhelming. The next day, their doorstep was flooded with deliveries from the post office. They temporarily stored the massive pile of old shoes at his brother’s place, which playfully transformed their living space into a shoe warehouse, prompting their neighbors to jest, “When did you guys become recyclers?”
Yet, sending this large volume of shoes to Africa was not an easy feat, even with the family’s combined effort. Luckily, the power of publicity and the compassion of many others came into play, and they received assistance from volunteers and the media. However, the challenge shifted to the financial aspect. As a middle-income family, how could they afford to ship this substantial aid overseas? But with unwavering determination and a leap of faith, Yu-Jen Yang emptied their bank accounts and committed their entire resources to this humanitarian endeavor. This led to the establishment of the non-profit organization “Saving Souls with Old Shoes International Christian Care Association,” which successfully delivered tons of shoes to those in need across Africa.
Yu-Jen Yang asserted, “You can’t sit in an air-conditioned room and think about the problems in Africa.” A few years later, he moved his family to Kenya, where they expanded their efforts and projects, including the “Living Water Project” (providing clean water and sanitation), the “Rising School Project” (building shelters for schools, bestow quality education), “Chicken Farming” (promoting sustainable communities), “International Volunteers,” and “MOVE Mission,” laying out more opportunities for individuals to engage in service.
Throughout this journey of service, Yu-Jen Yang and his family, along with their fellow workers, encountered challenges beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Under very limited resources, sometimes they would go days without food. Not to mention all the criticisms from social media or their own social communities of what they are doing or what they have done. Yet, they also experienced numerous blessings, which shaped their life stories into an increasingly compelling narrative. His wife and daughter miraculously recovered from malaria, helping young boys clean jigger flea-infested feet so they can happily play sports again, creating hygiene pads for girls, teaching proper health education, and promoting gender equality—their impact has been profound. His wife, Kara, shared a memorable and heart-wrenching dilemma during a TV interview: When she had just a bit of porridge left and was feeding it to their baby, several starving children approached, eyes locked on the bowl. It was a heartbreaking choice between her role as a mother and a servant.
“I am not afraid of difficulties or suffering, but I fear a life without a meaningful story,” said Yu-Jen Yang. From a street kid in his late teens to a life-saver for thousands upon thousands, he attributes his transformation to his faith. “God uses willing people, not perfect people,” he says, reflecting on how he was changed during his most wayward moments and how he now has the power to change others.
For those who wish to delve deeper into Yu-Jen Yang’s incredible life journey, they can attend his lecture: “Unleashed: Embracing Life’s Best Arrangement | Yu-Jen Yang.”
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