The Crocs are Off to Congo!

Well, it is April 1 and we are on our way to Congo. Keep watching the Blog for photos of the children with their new Crocs. Thanks to everyone who has made this project a success!

Redistribution Ariel's Way!

Ariel and Perrie with the croc shoes.

Ariel's Dad Roy

Ariel is a dear friend and roomate of my Sister Melissa's when she lived in England for college. She has also become a great friend to our entire family and is such a warm loving person. She heard about our project from Melissa and quickly sprang into action. Here is a little about her and how she has managed to help out even being a grad student doesn't stop her.

" A bit about me..grad student at Univ of Miami--spanish language journalism track ("periodismo"). GO CANES! Hmm...some things I love...God, my family, dogs, the arts, writing letters, cooking, kicking back with a good book (note: book, not TEXTbook), playing listening and singing--anything music related (just ask melissa--i can be pretty goofy about it. at newbold I was constantly begging and working to borrow a guitar--even used to walk with a pik in my wallet), volunteering where I'm needed... and traveling when I can afford it! <> :-)

I think the crocs project is easy for people to strive towards because everyone knows someone with kids who will outgrow or have outgrown their crocs. Or you know someone who knows someone... For our personal donation, our family decided to scale back on Christmas and take on a couple missions projects instead. (If we gave presents, they were homemade). So some of the extra cash went towards some pairs of crocs for the kids.

As for a student budget..well yes, grad students typically don't have a lot of spending cash, but I personally found ways to scale back too. Small & simple things can offer a lot for donations. For example, instead of occasionally buying Papa Johns, I'd go buy a generic supermarket pizza, and the 10 bucks you save, you can go buy two pairs of imitation crocs from Target or Walmart. The food actually tastes better when you know you're making a contribution to something important. I don't go to Blockbuster or movies, just wait for the library to get the DVD... the 7 or 10 bucks there can go for a donation also.

So I haven't made revolutionary changes to my lifestyle--just a little "redistribution". Also any spare change I collect I've been keeping in a jar and when it fills up I'll count it out and donate it also(I call that one "Change for crocs" ;) still in progress....might be more exciting if I had a smaller jar that filled up faster!) I hope that some of the other students I've asked will also find creative ways to contribute as well.

This pic is me with my poodlemix Perrie (formerly a scrawny stray, yet remarkably photogenic) and some of the crocs we collected. (Perrie has a habit of crawling into a lap if its within reach--so this picture without her was not an option) The other pic is my daddy, Roy, with the last set of crocs on the day we went to post them. I have a picture of the lady at UPS too, who boxed them (for free!! Last time the manager said she charged extra for that. :P) and asked all kinds of questions. She thinks its super and wants to know if there's a need for clothing as well."

Ariel is truly an inspiring giver. You do not have to be rich to enjoy helping others and although Ariel is modest and feels that her changes to her lifestyle aren't "revolutionary" but are instead "redistribution" I think that she is REVOLUTIONARY!!!! and just think if we all did a little "redistribution" in our own lifestyles we are truly going to change the world and ourselves in the process.

Sydnee Helps Collect Crocs for Congo

Sydnee, her gramma Ginny and her great-gramma Marnie and the Crocs that they have collected

Sydnee is 5 year old girl from Plaster Rock, New Brunswick who, along with her grandmother Ginny and her great-grandmother Marnie, has collected 10 pair of crocs for Africa. Sydnee's favourite Crocs are the purple ones and she is excited to think that they are going to Africa. Thank-you Sydnee for your help in getting Crocs for the children of Congo. Your help is much appreciated.

Planes, Boats and Automobiles!

Congolese Lady on the Island of Idjwi

The journey from New Brunswick to the Democratic Republic of Congo is a long one. Here is our travel itinerary:

The Snow in Arthurette, New Brunswick

On Tuesday morning, April 1 we will load up all the Crocs that have been collected in Canada will be loaded into our car and we will drive 7 hours to Clinton, Massachusetts where all the Crocs collected in the USA have been collecting. These too will be loaded up and on Wednesday morning, April 2, we will drive the hour to Logan International Airport in Boston where we will get on a plane to Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta we will have a 2 hour transit after which we will board a plane for a 19 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa--we board the plane at 15h45 on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta and we arrive in Johannesburg at 16h45 on Thursday! We will spend the night in Johannesburg and then on Friday afternoon we leave for a 5 hour flight to Kigali, Rwanda. We will spend a day in Kigali before driving 4 hours across the mountains of Rwanda to the city of Gisenyi on the north end of Lake Kivu.

On the way we will cross the Nile--Congo continental divide at an elevation of 2800 m (9240 feet).

Mount Karisimbi on the Nile-Congo Continental Divide

In Gisenyi we arrive at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The cities of Gisenyi, Rwanda and Goma, DR Congo are dominated by Mt. Nyiragongo one of the world's most active volcanoes.

Mt Nyiragongo

After crossing the border into Congo we will take a boat for four hours across Lake Kivu to the Patmos Children's Village on the island of Idjwi.

Patmos Children's Village on the Shores of Lake Kivu

We will arrive at the Children's Village 5 days after we left home and after 43 hours of travel!! We will have left the snow of New Brunswick for the tropical quietude of the Island of Idjwi in beautiful Lake Kivu. Yes it is a long ways from New Brunswick to Congo!!!

Gardens Around the Patmos Children's Village

Patmos Children's Village
on the Island of Idjwi in
Beautiful Lake Kivu

Cindy's Wednesday Night Prayer Group

Cindy Conner is the school secretary at Chinook Elementary School here in Vancouver, Washington. She and her Wednesday night prayer group collected 29 pairs of croc shoes. I walked over to the school with DeLuca in a stroller and I had a few bags to carry the shoes home in. I got there and the bin at the school was so full I wasn't sure how I would carry them all
home. I had three heaping bags full of crocs and I stashed some in the carrier basket under the stroller. It was a juggling act to get home but all for such a great cause. Wow, I cannot thank everyone who has taken this cause to their hearts and been so generous. These orphans will be greatly blessed when they get these croc shoes in a few weeks. I will post pictures of the crocs arriving in the Congo as soon as I get them.

How Many Collected?

Well as of today March 25, 2008 there are 113 pairs that have been collected for these orphans. They will all be taken over to the Democratic Republic of Congo on April 2.

Thanks you everyone who has helped. You have been very generous.

Thank-you Sandra

Sandra and the Crocs that she has collected.

Sandra Paine of Red Rapids, New Brunswick has been collecting Crocs for the children in the Democratic Republic of Congo for several weeks now. She has collected 24 pairs of Crocs! Thank-you very much Sandra!



"I have become involved with gathering Crocs through knowing Dr. Wecker. This is a project that will provide a basic necessity to children who have nothing while giving me a lot of
pleasure. Convincing people to donate is half of the fun. There must be lots of Crocs that are outgrown and yet not worn out--I just have to find them! Help has come from my friends who are members of our square dance club. Thanks guys!!!! I just love helping children. To see their smiling faces is all the thanks anyone needs."
--Sandra Paine

Look at all these Crocs! Thanks Sandra!

When we get back from Congo in a few weeks, we will have some photos for you Sandra of many smiling faces wearing Crocs on their feet!!! Thank-you Sandra.

More Crocs!

DeLuca and I on our walk to pick up the crocs at Chinook!

Crocs in bags to carry home.

Crocs in collection bin at Chinook Elementary School.

Here comes some more croc shoes!

Chinook Elementary School has collected 9 pairs in the past few weeks. I walked over there with DeLuca (see Picture above) and picked up the collected crocs and brought them home. I will ship them to my brother in Boston who will store them for a few weeks. My Dad will fly out from Boston and so he will pick them up and take them over to the orphans on April 2nd. They are going to be so excited to get these shoes. You have no idea! These children have never had anything in their life and a pair of shoes even though it is important is just a luxury that they have never had until now.

THANK YOU CHINOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


While I was there the school secretary told me she had collected 14 or more pairs and they were at home so she will bring them in next week and I will pick them up and mail them then. So there are more on the way.

Thank you Glenda

Glenda (my Dad's cousin) in British Columbia, Canada has gotten involved in this project. She has been very generous and just sent 17 pairs of Crocs to my Dad so he can take them over in April. Here is a little about how she went about helping with our project:

"My mom and I take my house bound auntie, for lunch once a week. She loves to have something to look forward too and we enjoy spending some time with her. Last week, I told my mom and my auntie that I wanted to send some Crocs to Barry Wecker's ( my cousin) project for the children in Africa. They both quickly replied that they would like to help too. What fun it was to stop in at a local store and pick out some fun colours and sizes of the shoes. Both women love to help out with mission projects and, having been teachers in their working years, love to see children happy!"

Thanks again Esther, Beth and Glenda!

Thanks Kim

When I first started this project I posted some ads on craigslist asking for any donations of crocs anyone could spare and the first response I got was from Kim. She donated the little red crocs seen here on this orphans stuffed animal. Here is a little about Kim and her daughter:

“I found out about Crocs for Orphan Tots on Craigslist. My daughter had outgrown a pair of her crocs and being a social worker, I always look for ways to help others out. After her first pair was sent over, a picture of them on a beloved stuffed animal of a tot showed up on the blog. My daughter, Emily was so excited about it, that she decided to have her other pairs of crocs sent over too! I enjoy the idea of helping others and it allows my daughter to learn the same value.”

Above you can see pictures of her daughter enjoying her Crocs. Isn't she adorable!

Thanks Ariel.

My sister's friend Ariel has collected 10 pairs of crocs for the children. Way to go and thanks a million. She is a grad student in Florida. She has done an amazing job. Thank you!!!!!!!

Thanks Kathy!

My friend Kathy took this project to her School PTSA board meeting tonight and they voted to agree to help collect crocs for our project. So a BIG THANK YOU to Chinook Elementary School.

This is a lot of fun involving our local community in the larger world community. I will keep you updated on the progress of this school's involvement.

If you want to get your own school involved as well, no matter where your school is, just contact me and I will let you know what you can do. I will feature your school croc collection updates on the blog as well. The children from your school will be able to see their shoes put to good use when they arrive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Footwear Tasks!

Children's footwear in Africa is also going to be exposed to lots of wear and tear. Each of the children hope for one pair of footwear and this pair will be used, rain or shine; at work and at play.

These children carry water daily for they basic needs. If they need to go anywhere they walk as there are no vehicles for transportation. These children walk to school, they also try to fit in as much play in the day as they can. The sport of choice for most of the children is "football" (soccer). Most of the time soccer is played with a banana leaf ball that the children make themselves (see picture again).