Why do we put flip flops in every backpack we make no matter the age? ESM had just begun making backpacks to send the kids heading off to school. We added a backpack, school supplies, grooming kits, coloring books and crayons and a bible.
Our 1st team with a set of backpacks.
Roy & I headed off on our annual Kenya trip and made our way home to Bungoma. We were excited to take backpacks to the kids! They loved them and were thrilled to have so much to start school with. As we were playing with them I noticed that almost all their little sandals had holes or pieces literally missing. It didn’t take away from their smiles, but it sure made us unhappy. We went home determined that every backpack would hold a pair of flip flops!
Now, 7 years later, our backpacks are age group sensitive. The 3-6 year old receive cute, smaller backpacks, little pre-school supplies with a small grooming kit, a doll for girls and a toy for the boys, coloring book & crayons, a children’s book about Jesus & flip flops; 7-11 year old receive their backpack & school needs, grooming kit, finger flashlights, a puzzle or game, activity book, (every girls get a doll, no matter what age – we call them little scraps of love), Book of John & flip flops. The older kids usually go to boarding school so they get their backpack, school supplies along with a dictionary, a grooming kit including shaving items & deodorant, Book of Hope or New Testament, flashlights or booklights, & yes, their flip flops. All backpacks include a note of encouragement as well.
We also add a flashlight/reading light or finger flashlight in each backpack as most families do not have electricity or solar lighting. The flashlights help the kids do their studying at night.
We provide almost 900 of these every year and are setting a goal for 1000 this year. That is 1000 of each article we provide including Flip Flops. If you would like to invest in the orphans around the world, please consider helping us collect the items needed. OurJoy in a Baglist will help you as well as theAmazon Wish Listlink on the front page of our website! If you’d rather invest monetarily each kit costs us $25 to make.
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