The holidays are a time for giving, and a high school student from Greensboro, North Carolina, really took that to heart. When Yaovi Mawuli Amaglo noticed a boy in his French class was being bullied because of his tattered sneakers, he knew what it felt like to be made fun of. Yaovi immigrated to the United States from the West African country of Togo, and shared a story similar to his classmate’s. Before he moved to the United States, Yaovi worked hard to afford nice shoes.
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“I remember I got made fun of for wearing some shoes that had 2006 on them while we were in years 2008. But nobody knew what I did to get that pair of shoes. I would cut my neighbors lawn and take out her trash and she would give me $20 which I save […] in order to buy that pair of shoes. So I understand not everyone if fortunate enough to afford new pairs of sneakers,” he said.
Yaovi is an avid sneaker enthusiast, and he had an extra pair of shoes in his classmate’s size. He reached out to the other shoe lovers in his community on Facebook for advice, concerned he would make his classmate feel embarrassed. When he finally gifted the sneaks, Yaovi said his classmate appreciated them. The two teens snapped a quick picture together at school.
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I think we can all take a little inspiration from Yaovi…not just during the holidays, but all year round. It’s easy to get caught up in our own issues, but it’s totally worth it to slow down and give a little bit of our time or money to help others. What will you do to help others this winter?
