Rural School on Idjwi Shows Need for Crocs!

Although the luggage was delayed in arriving until we were leaving it became very apparent to me as a first time visitor to the island of Idjwi, how important Croc-like sandals were to the children. I spent my week on the island visiting projects and institutions in the local villages around the Patmos Children's Village but it was when I toured the local primary schools that I really became aware of the need for Crocs for the tots.

Rural School on the Island of Idjwi

How is this for a crowded school?

The school was crowded--the only spare space was by the door.

The children in the picture above were from a local village school. The classrooms had no windows, no lights, no lamps. There were no chairs or desks so stones had been carried in by the children to sit upon. They propped the few scarce note books and pencil nubins on their knees and there were so many children in the classroom that it was shoulder to shoulder and knee to back. The only free space was right by the door as can be seen in the picture. The teacher was even packed in with no moving space.

What really caught my attention though was the muddy floor. It was dry outside, but the floor inside was covered in mud puddles. And all that kept the children from sitting in it were the stones that they were sitting upon.

Water puddles on the school floor

Desire, the project developer, quickly explained that they carried water from the lake to pour on the floor because there is a bug he called "chique" which would in-bed itself in the bare feet from the dry ground inside buildings.

And so they studied balancing on small stones, in a building with no windows, at maximum capacity and sitting in the mud - because the children are barefoot.

Here are the children sitting on their stones and bricks on a mud floor!

Below is a picture of the foot of a local villager who walked to our village in order to get medical advice on the "chique" that had buried into his feet from living bare foot, on a dry floor, without washing.


Thank you to all who have donated and gathered crocs! I hope this makes you realize that the crocs are not just a fashion statement- they are a health necessity. You are changing lives. We will be posting pictures of the orphans with the crocs you sent as soon as possible.

The children all say Thanks!!!!