Zapateria

We have fifteen kids that attend public school and one that attends a private school.  In Honduras, all children that attend school have to have uniforms.  Those uniforms include black shoes for all children.  Shoes get passed down.  We make sure everyone has a pair of school shoes at the first of the year. But feet grow and shoes wear out. 

Karen found a zapateria, or shoe store, in Ojojona.  Not only does the man makes shoes, he repairs them.  He repairs them very well and very inexpensively. 

Rosy's school shoes were in really bad shape.  She leaves so early and gets home so late, I was having a hard time getting them to the zapateria before she needed them again.  Ana's shoes also broke.  But they were no where near as bad as Rosy's.  I got the girls' shoes to the zapateria one Friday afternoon.  Rosy's had to be completely resoled.  To repair both pairs of shoes cost eighty limpiras which is about $4.00.   At $4.77 a gallon for gasoline, I couldn't even get to the main highway to go to town to buy new shoes for that price. 

I told Marcos when I needed them.  When I went after them they weren't ready.  He told me one more hour.  And then he delivered them to Casa de Esperanza.  Four dollars to repair two pairs of shoes and delivery included.  Rosy's shoes looked brand new.  Ana's looked good, too, but hers were not in as bad of shape to start with.  At that price, we make shoes last a loooong time.

Marcos, the man that owns the zapateria grew up in a children's home.  He has a scrapbook.  Karen has talked to him a lot more than I have.  He always has several pairs of shoes to repair and always has a display rack of the shoes he was made.  If the shoes he makes are as good as the repairs he makes, I am sure they last a long time. 

I don't think Marcos is wealthy.  He probably just ekes out a living. But I think he is content.  Sitting in his shop making and repairing shoes all day. 

Terri