"A shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk." ~ Christian Louboutin

Today I left my apartment at 6:00 am to meet the CCF Community Service Club for this weekends' project.  Twenty-two students, ranging in age from ten to eighteen, head to remote schools to hand out shoes procured through Toms One For One Movement.  Through the work of these CCF students, about 30,000 pairs of shoes are distributed annually in rural villages.  Today we drove about two hours to Sereyphort Village to fit and give out hundreds of pairs of shoes.  First stop along the way was to a market to get some food for lunch.  

Yes - it appears that there are some hooves hanging from hooks here.  I spared you the photo of the pigs' heads, so it could have been worse.  Shoppers walk up to the stall and the meat keeper hacks a chunck off the slab for them.  Flies and all.  There were also bowls of all kinds of organs.  I was having high school biology flashbacks.  On my way to meet the bus this morning I also saw six huge, fully skinned pigs hanging from a tuk tuk speeding along.  It was a good day to go vegetarian.  Unfortunately lunch was pork fried rice :(((.








And on to the village school...

This is just a small section of the schoolyard.  The kids were waiting lined up when we arrived.  This photo was taking after an hour of waiting so their enthusiasm was waning.

The CCF student leader volunteers worked hard setting up.  Quite the operation, run by these kids.  Once it began it was hot, sweaty, busy work.  Hundreds of shoes given to so many who have none.  And while it took a long time  they were incredibly patient and so many of them helped younger students.  In Khmer culture, children are caregivers to their younger siblings and that is very evident in their behavior towards their classmates.

These children were far more somber than those I see in Phnom Penh.  It's hard to believe that their poverty is more severe but, unfortunately, I was told that's the case and perhaps it is the reason for the difference.

There comes a point on some days that I feel my heart subconsciously disconnect from my brain.  At times that's what is needed to keep on keeping on.

Taking measurements and recording for the next step.

 

So many little feet...

Some of the volunteer team members were
younger than the kids being shod.

Look at the size of his bicycle.
He couldn't even sit down while peddling. 

Don't they look riveted!  And notice the hands.  The less
people appear to understand me the more I flail my
arms about.  At least it gives them something to look at!
Seriously, I have a better way.  HA - says they.

It is great that the children being helped by the Cambodian Children's Fund are motivated, encouraged, and enabled to pay it forward.  I'm not sure who benefitted more today.  The village children or the CCF Community Service Leadership Team.  

It was a win-win day and that is ALWAYS a good thing.