Philippines: Flip flops

One of the treasured items in the bedkits is the flip flops. We take footwear for granted but not here in the Philippines.

From Philippines 2011

Children  who come to the distribution sites generally have on flip flops, but often they appear to belong to someone else.  They can look oversized or undersized on little feet.  When we looked at the children closely, we saw broken sandals on feet with oozing sores, sandals worn by children who had swollen feet in which "something" was embedded, sandals on feet that were so scabbed it was hard to imagine they didn't hurt.  Those who came barefoot, tried to hide their feet as though ashamed of not having what the other children had.

Is it possible, flip flops give them pride, self-esteem and a sense of belonging?  Flip flops protect them from hard, sharp stones, and litter on the streets and also serve as a cushion when seated to buffer them from the hard ground.

I brought a pair of my daughter's flip flops and gave them to a child who arrived without any footwear. They were too large for her but I knew they would be useful for someone else in the family since the child had new ones in her bedkit. As she left the site, the child kept looking over her shoulder as if expecting someone to stop her to take them back.

Hopefully those flip flops will give someone in the family comfort.

Donna Chantler
for Team Philippines 2011

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