A poor boy goes to school barefoot because he wears a 49: the teacher mobilizes resources and manages to help him
The power of social networks is truly amazing - although they often turn out to be a double edged sword, they can be extremely useful when it comes to solidarity or raising awareness on certain topics. If you are able to manage them intelligently, a Twitter post could literally change someone's life. And that's what happened to a 14-year-old Argentine boy whose family did not have enough money to buy or repair his number 49 sneakers. The boy went to school and attended classes barefoot. Luckily, a teacher thought about describing his situation in a post on Twitter, bringing help and solidarity from all over the country.
Nahuel Roque is 14 years old, he is 1.90 m tall and wears size 49 shoes, a very high number that not all brands produce. The boy lives in conditions of extreme poverty in a very dangerous and infamous neighborhood on the border between Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil - Triple Frontera. Nahuel is a shy but determined boy who continued to attend school despite being forced to go barefoot. In the family, hhe lives with his mother and 6 siblings, including 2 disabled people who need medical assistance and treatment. His family didn't have enough money to ask the shoemaker to repair Nahuel's sneakers, so the 14-year-old got by, going to school without shoes on his feet.
His teacher, Nadia Flores, 36, decided to help her pupil and asked for help on social media. In her Twitter post she described Nahuel's situation, bringing his problem to the attention of thousands of users. The messages of help and solidarity were not long in coming and they even tripled within 24 hours. Famous people, belonging to the world of sport in particular of basketball, wanted to contribute in changing the life of this boy for the better.
The national basketball team and sportswear shops sent the boy shoes, slippers and clothes suitable for his stature. Now Nahuel can attend classes without worry throughout the year!
