This November I took a trip with TOMS Shoes to help spread the love. For every pair of TOMS you purchase, they give a pair to a child in need. This year took us to South Africa where we placed 50,000 pairs of shoes on children's feet.
Photo left: Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS), Esther and I greet children on the second day.
Labels: Blake Mycoskie, Johannesburg, shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, TOMS shoe drop, Toms Shoes
Blake and I
Saying goodbye. Taylor, Gordon, M, Zack, Leigh-Ann, and Isaac
On the last day of our TOMS trip, we went to the Johannesburg Mayor's office to meet some children from local orphanages. I guess politics is the same everywhere. The political assistant paid some lipservice to the "great" programs that the city of Joburg was doing as a local woman scoffed behind me.
I left early and headed over to one of the HIV/AIDS orphanages for children. The kids played outside with us, but we weren't allowed in for various reasons.
Headed back to the Mayor's office. Packed up. And headed to the airport. Half the crew, including myself, were staying in Africa. I was flying to Mozambique. The others were off to Cape Town. Esther, the photographer on the trip had little desire to head back to the States, so I invited her onto Mozambique...thus begins that journey...
I left early and headed over to one of the HIV/AIDS orphanages for children. The kids played outside with us, but we weren't allowed in for various reasons.
Headed back to the Mayor's office. Packed up. And headed to the airport. Half the crew, including myself, were staying in Africa. I was flying to Mozambique. The others were off to Cape Town. Esther, the photographer on the trip had little desire to head back to the States, so I invited her onto Mozambique...thus begins that journey...
to be continued...
Labels: Johannesburg, shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, Toms Shoes
I was obviously jazzed when I found this ginomous cecropia moth
Look at those eyes!!! I just wanted to SQUEEZE him!
Rachel, Tyler and DJ chilling in Lesedi
Give peace a chance
"Styler" - editor at mens.style.com looks 8' tall in this picture
Labels: Africa, Lesedi, shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, TOMS shoe drop, Toms Shoes, Zululand
Before TOMS.
After TOMS..
Taylor with little boy
Doing it the way they do it.
It looks as if they are kickboxing... 
Geoff's kettie later gets me in trouble in MozambiquePhotos: Bryan Johnson
Labels: Africa, hanson, shoe drop, South Africa, TOMS shoe drop, Toms Shoes
Ashton and I buddy up
Come on, I didn't even do patty-cake in school
We picked this chick up along the way. Studies at Dartmouth and has been working at the Special School for the last semester.
The crew
Taylor, Sean and Geoff''s two big thumbs
How freaky is this? He painted a mustache on his face.
Kids at Esibonisweni...
Labels: Africa, shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, Toms Shoes
the rural parts of South Africa were breathtaking. This is on our way up to Juvo in Ingwavuma
Blake and Alejo, founders of TOMS, say cheese
Hauling the shoes into the school
The gals and I show off our shoes
We visited two schools today. Juvo I believe was the name of the first school. There were only a couple hundred children however. The weather was calling for rain so school had to be canceled. Children end up walking for miles to school, which is why it is common that kids don't go to school in the rainy season.
Our team set up an assembly line of shoe-giving. We sorted out shoes from smallest to largest, sweating all the way down to our ankles in the wooden schoolroom.
"Size 10! Size 7! Size 6!" Blake, Jake, Pam, and Evelina called out.
Joe, Rachel, Mike and I would toss the shoes their way.
"I want scotch," the tall girls with the most beautiful chestnut skin would say. Scotch was their name for plaid - and that was the pattern of choice here. This was a hard-to-please crowd. They knew what they liked and if they didn't get it, they would sit there and sulk, like any other teenager would. It was funny to see the girls with large feet try to shimmy their feet into a size 6 of 7 scotch shoe, pulling feverishly at the heel and writhing their foot like a possessed snake. "I don't think they fit," a voice of reason from our team would say.
Afterwards, the 19-year old preacher, who looked much more mature than 19 - (was he really that young, or was he just fibbing?) gripped my hands strongly and pulled me in for a hug. I kissed his cheek and he laid his warm skin against mine and kissed my cheek in return. "Thank you, thank you. I welcome you back anytime." I thanked him, laughing, as he continued to hug and kiss me, without the least bit of interest in letting go.
The van's music pumped softly to the undertones of giggling kids and the soft scuffle-thump-thump of their newly soled feet. I danced my way over to the circle where we waved our arms wildly.
A debonair child in a blue button-down and khaki pants worked his hips and danced to the music. I took his hand and we circled around - his friends laughing wildly at the sight. I picked up a young girl and dipped her down.
Wilson, one of the school headmasters came over to hug me. I thanked him for our time here. "We're just starting," I said. "We hope to make TOMS bigger so we can give more shoes. This is just a start."
"This is a lot," he beamed. He pulled me closer and gripped my hands. "The children will not forget this. I promise."
Our team set up an assembly line of shoe-giving. We sorted out shoes from smallest to largest, sweating all the way down to our ankles in the wooden schoolroom.
"Size 10! Size 7! Size 6!" Blake, Jake, Pam, and Evelina called out.
Joe, Rachel, Mike and I would toss the shoes their way.
"I want scotch," the tall girls with the most beautiful chestnut skin would say. Scotch was their name for plaid - and that was the pattern of choice here. This was a hard-to-please crowd. They knew what they liked and if they didn't get it, they would sit there and sulk, like any other teenager would. It was funny to see the girls with large feet try to shimmy their feet into a size 6 of 7 scotch shoe, pulling feverishly at the heel and writhing their foot like a possessed snake. "I don't think they fit," a voice of reason from our team would say.
Afterwards, the 19-year old preacher, who looked much more mature than 19 - (was he really that young, or was he just fibbing?) gripped my hands strongly and pulled me in for a hug. I kissed his cheek and he laid his warm skin against mine and kissed my cheek in return. "Thank you, thank you. I welcome you back anytime." I thanked him, laughing, as he continued to hug and kiss me, without the least bit of interest in letting go.
The van's music pumped softly to the undertones of giggling kids and the soft scuffle-thump-thump of their newly soled feet. I danced my way over to the circle where we waved our arms wildly.
A debonair child in a blue button-down and khaki pants worked his hips and danced to the music. I took his hand and we circled around - his friends laughing wildly at the sight. I picked up a young girl and dipped her down.
Wilson, one of the school headmasters came over to hug me. I thanked him for our time here. "We're just starting," I said. "We hope to make TOMS bigger so we can give more shoes. This is just a start."
"This is a lot," he beamed. He pulled me closer and gripped my hands. "The children will not forget this. I promise."
Labels: shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, TOMS shoe drop, Toms Shoes
We woke up around 4:30 to get ready to do a safari on the water. Blake fly-fished while the rest of us soaked up the giraffes, hippos, and zebras.
Yummy dead hippo carcass on shore
It took us a while to get the whole crowd together, so we ended up hanging at the lodge and took some priceless TOMS photos.
Note to all the little children: Zak and Geoff are not good role models
Note to all the little children: Zak and Geoff are stll not good role models
Geoff skating down the road
Ha Ha! Zak takes a spill.
Rachel is Zest-fully clean with TOMS
Who drew on my feet?
Labels: shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, TOMS shoe drop, Toms Shoes
We obviously had no trouble bonding.Front row: Pam
Second row: Joe (Balejo), Jake, Evelina, Tyler (Styler), Blake, me, Rachel, Hammer
Back row: Mike and Alejo
It was a pretty crazy night. Geoff and Zak jumped off the roof into the pool with white sheets on. Evelina got a pissile (pillow missile) to her head and Blake gave me Jack Kerouac tattoo that didn't come off for days. Didn't mind though. It was a good one:“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!”
Sean (Fabio), me and Mark
What started off as Geoff's and my idea for jumping on the wall turned into a whole wall fest.Look at the air we got! (And Pam even had a broken leg!)
Labels: Africa, shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, TOMS shoe drop, Toms Shoes
These two little girls were too precious to pass up on a photo
She looks so wise
This cute chunker was giving Tyler such a tough time. She kept on taking the shoes off!
These two boys got a kick out of Geoff's lenses. Geoff and I later walked around with them on our eyes. It's like having drunk goggles on. Distorts everything!
Kids in Toms. The "scotch" (plaid) shoes were their favorite
Hammer time: blowing bubbles
This girl later took me by the hand to dance with me
I didn't have enough arms to go around
Clearly the coolest kid on the block. He took my shades and posed.
After a long day, Zak rests before we head off to Durban
A huge fire rages in the distance. Probably started by someone to clear the land.
Labels: Africa, shoe drop, South Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes and Africa, Toms Shoes
about
- From the frontlines: Tracking the latest news, updates, and projects of Summer Rayne Oakes
last posts
- Launched New Site and Don't miss THIS conference c...
- We're Moving
- Financial Times Germany Talks Sustainable Style
- Summer Rayne talks Planet Green, Green-Collar Jobs...
- Hometown Paper Highlights Career
- Two Dozen Long Stem Roses
- Sustainable Style: Trend or Movement? What do Stud...
- Behind-the-scenes at LOHAS
- Funniest Response to my Insect Terrariums
- Welcome to 21 new additions to the family
archives
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
eco fashion sustainable style ecofashion green fashion eco style sustainable design fair trade Summer Rayne Oakes global warming climate change youtube myspace eco organic green balance health wellness environment fashion fashion trends planet style fashion week