Why Crocs?

Why am I just sending Crocs and no other shoes like tennis shoes, sandals etc...

These children live in a climate near the equator where there are two basic seasons. The dry season and the rainy season. In the dry season they deal with tons of red clay dust and in the rainy season it turns to wet mud clay. The temperature tends to be between 72 - 82 degrees (F) year round regardless of the season.

Some shoes have been sent over there in the past and just don't hold up. The stitching doesn't hold, Velcro quits working from the clay like dirt buildup, leather gets wet and cracks or shrinks, the soles peel away from the upper shoe due to the rough terrain wear. I thought that the Crocs would be the best compromise for these children. They are durable, have no seams, and are washable. They are also cushioned and supportive enough to give good protection against the rough elements that cause injuries and infection to their bare feet.

When is the Next Trip to the Congo?

Soon... Maybe even next month. There was a peace agreement signed recently and if all stays calm my Dad and a team will be heading over there as early as next month. I am collecting as many Crocs as I can before they leave. I would like to get a bunch more sent this time. I have 2 pairs that I am getting from the lady at the School for the Blind here in Vancouver, WA. Her daughter has outgrown them since her last pair that she gave. She and her daughter enjoyed seeing where they ended up.
PLEASE DONATE YOUR USED AND OUTGROWN Crocs FOR THESE CHILDREN!

Contact me by leaving a comment on this blog if you need information on this.

Addresses:

Re-posting this for your convenience.

Mail any Crocs you would like to donate to this project:

In the USA:
"Crocs for Orphan Tots"
Congo Project
2711 NE 134th Way
Vancouver, WA 98686


In Canada:
"Crocs for Orphan Tots"
2137 Route 109
Arthurette, NB E7H 4B6

How do the Crocs get to the orphans?

I wish we could just mail the crocs as we receive them. Unfortunately if they were mailed they would probably never arrive. The mail to their region gets sifted through many times over and the Crocs would end up stolen before they even arrived. There are really only two ways to get them over there:

1. Ship a large container over by ship. This is very slow and expensive but is sometimes necessary to get large quantities or large items over there. This method is also very costly. It can cost in excess of ten thousand dollars for a container to be transported there. What tends to happen is that projects collect many donations and items until they have enough to fill a container and then the container will ship. So until there is enough to fill a container, nothing goes.
2. Hand delivered by someone or several people traveling over to the orphanage. My father goes over several times a year and takes as much as he can. That is how the last shipment of crocs arrived. The kids were so elated to have some good shoes to protect their feet.
   

Keep the crocs coming and we will keep you updated on this project.

Any Teachers Willing to Help out?

In my hometown of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick (CANADA), population about 2000, some of the schools have gotten involved in helping collect Crocs or croc like shoes for these orphans. They have collected a few bags full of used crocs to ship over to the orphanage at the next trip over there. getting schools involved is such a great way to capitalize on recycling crocs that the school kids have outgrown. I feel that networking with schools could be one of the best ways to tap into collecting these outgrown Crocs. I do not have any children in schools in my area but would like to ask anyone involved with schools (teachers, parents etc...), could you get involved with this type of project at your school and collect used crocs? Maybe send a note home with the children asking if they have any crocs or fake crocs they have outgrown. Have them bring them into school. You can keep updated on this blog to see when the crocs arrive at the orphanage. I would be willing to help ship the crocs from your town to the project. All you would have to do is collect the crocs in your area and contact me. Please feel free to contact me via this blog (just leave me a comment on this blog). Lets get involved and recycle while helping out these orphans!

But Why Can’t They Just Go Barefoot?

This is a common misconception. It is true that many poor people must live without footwear in many countries in the world. If no shoes are worn the feet will toughen somewhat with callouses thickening the skin but health problems can easily be the end result.

The unfortunate truth is that many health conditions can occur even in the toughest of feet. As the skin toughens and thickens large cracks can form. Also, parasite infections such as hookworm and threadworm can penetrate the skin while constant cuts and scrapes to the feet and ankles frequently become infected. Some of these infections can even lead to ulcers which can take a long time to heal. While the hazards are not necessarily apparent from the surface they can result in major health problems for those unable to access appropriate footwear.

link to PROLASA project page.