Step30 International Ministries

Step30 International Ministries (社團法人舊鞋救命國際基督關懷協會), commonly known as "舊鞋救命" ("Old Shoes Save Lives"), is a Taiwan-registered Christian humanitarian association whose work began with a used-shoe donation campaign and grew into a multi-project development organization focused on impoverished communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Its stated vision is "a world without poverty" in which people hear the full gospel of Christ and live abundantly, and its mission is to "cultivate leaders and build sustainable, self-reliant systems" that provide basic needs — faith, medical care, education, water, stable food and income — in extremely poor regions. The movement traces its origins to Canadian Pastor Allen Remley, who had worked among the poor in Africa for more than a decade, together with young missionary Yu-Jen Yang (楊右任) and his wife, and many friends concerned about Africa. Teachers, students, pastors, project managers and professionals from various fields joined, stepping out of their comfort zones to bring care to Africa and the wider world. The organization's signature insight was that many children in sub-Saharan Africa lack shoes, walk 60–90 minutes to school each day, and suffer from sand flea (jigger) infestations that can become fatal — so a pair of old shoes could literally save a life. Beyond shoe donations, Step30 turns shipping containers used to transport supplies into classrooms, clinics, churches and community care points; drills wells for clean water; and teaches animal husbandry and organic farming to help remote villages become self-reliant. Its projects include the flagship 舊鞋救命 shoe program, the 興學計畫 (school-building), the 活水計畫 (clean water), 農耕放牧 (farming and herding), 國際志工 (international volunteers), 宣教 (mission) and 偏鄉翻轉 (rural transformation). Geographically, the organization says its work is concentrated in extremely poor rural areas of Kenya, Uganda, Eswatini, South Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria, Malawi and Togo. It partners with more than a hundred local house churches in Africa and with international organizations from the United States, Canada, Ukraine, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as local nonprofits. It aligns its work with the UN Sustainable Development Goals toward 2030. On its homepage, Step30 reports that since 2014 it has engaged 24,932 volunteers, served 3,156,930 people, and worked in 12 countries. It invites the public to donate money and goods, volunteer, or set up small collection points, and it publishes annual reports. The organization is a nonprofit association rather than a commercial enterprise, but it operates a recognizable humanitarian brand — "舊鞋救命" / Step30 — with a distinct identity, programs and public campaigns.

Step30 International Ministries grew out of a used-shoe donation movement that began in Taiwan. According to the organization's own account, the work was already being carried forward by Canadian Pastor Allen Remley, who had been committed to changing the lives of the poor in Africa for more than ten years. Young missionary Yu-Jen Yang (楊右任) and his wife carried on this vision, joined by many others passionate about Africa — teachers, students, pastors, project managers and professionals from various fields. The founding insight was concrete: in sub-Saharan Africa, many children cannot survive beyond the age of five, more than a million school children have no shoes to wear, and the walk to school alone takes an average of 60 to 90 minutes each day. "Sand fleas," also known as jiggers, are a disease common to children without shoes and can even be fatal. The campaign "舊鞋。救命" ("Old Shoes. Save Lives.") called on young people to take practical action, and the organization's homepage dates its "since 2014" journey from that period. As the movement matured, it moved beyond material donations. Shipping containers used to transport supplies were turned into classrooms, clinics, churches and community care centres. The organization began drilling wells to supply clean water and providing training in animal husbandry and organic farming to help remote villages become self-reliant. It worked alongside many international organizations to enter forgotten corners of Africa, caring for children and friends regardless of skin colour or faith. Over time Step30 developed a portfolio of named programs: the flagship 舊鞋救命 shoe program; 興學計畫 (school-building, replacing fragile classrooms of thin boards or red-earth-and-branch structures); 活水計畫 (clean water, addressing the fact that only about 24% of people in extremely poor sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe drinking water); 農耕放牧 (farming and herding, promoting crop diversity and organic methods to break single-crop poverty); 國際志工 (international volunteers, framed as "parallel companionship" rather than one-way giving); 宣教 (mission, focused on unreached peoples); and 偏鄉翻轉 (rural transformation, concentrating all programs in one area for comprehensive change). The organization describes its current work as concentrated in extremely poor rural areas of Kenya, Uganda, Eswatini, South Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria, Malawi and Togo. It partners with more than a hundred local house churches in Africa and with international organizations from the United States, Canada, Ukraine, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as local nonprofits, and it aligns its direction with the UN Sustainable Development Goals toward 2030. Its founder has written of the journey from bringing 200,000 pairs of old shoes to African villages to the organization passing ten years of operation. On its homepage, Step30 reports that since 2014 it has engaged 24,932 volunteers, served 3,156,930 people, and worked in 12 countries.

• 2025

  The organization publishes a 2025 annual report and invites readers to read it.

• 2024

  With support from 富順纖維 and 臺北市迪化街阿富哥文教慈善會, Step30 works on a well project in Chikombo village, Malawi.

• 2014

  Step30's journey is dated "since 2014" on its homepage, marking the start of the used-shoe movement that became the association.

• Canadian Pastor Allen Remley's more than ten years of work among the poor in Africa precedes and seeds the movement.

• Yu-Jen Yang and his wife carry on the vision, joined by teachers, students, pastors, project managers and professionals.

• The organization expands from shoe donations into container-converted classrooms, clinics, churches and community care points.

• Programs including 興學計畫, 活水計畫, 農耕放牧, 國際志工, 宣教 and 偏鄉翻轉 are developed.

A faith-based, youth-mobilizing humanitarian brand that turns donated goods and volunteer energy into long-term community development in impoverished East Africa.

• 舊鞋救命 (used-shoe donation program)

  Flagship program addressing sand flea (jigger) infestation among children without shoes.

• 興學計畫 (school-building)

  Building weatherproof school buildings to replace fragile classrooms and enable education.

• 活水計畫 (clean water)

  Drilling wells and providing clean water in remote villages and clinics.

• 農耕放牧 (farming and herding)

  Training in animal husbandry and organic farming to build self-reliance and rural economies.

• 國際志工 (international volunteers)

  Mobilizing young volunteers for international service with pre-trip training and local empowerment.

• 宣教 (mission)

  Responding to the mission mandate and reaching unreached peoples.

• 偏鄉翻轉 (rural transformation)

  Concentrating all programs in one area so that change becomes comprehensive.

1. 1舊鞋救命國際基督關懷協會官方網站step30.org
2. 2故事緣起 | 舊鞋救命國際基督關懷協會step30.org
3. 3Our Story | 舊鞋救命國際基督關懷協會step30.org
4. 4計畫故事 | 舊鞋救命國際基督關懷協會step30.org
5. 5Wikidata Q133460585wikidata.org