Rockfish Wellies - Link To Hope Shoe Box Appeal

Rockfish Wellies - Link To Hope Charity - Maria Scard Photography

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Link To Hope Shoe Box Appeal

Thanks very much to Rockfish I own a pair of aubergine wellies. After great thought these boots never were for me. So they went off to a Romaniant via Maria Scard and the Link To Hope Shoe Box Appeal.

It can be hard to single out one person to give to when you go into environments that compared to how many of us live, are very poor and needy. Certainly a new pair of Rockfish wellies was definitely out of their reach. So we asked Cornel Fedor an inspirational man who works closely among the local people encouraging and supporting them. “Who do these boots belong to?” After much thought he told us of a girl named Florina. This was a very special pair of boots that were on a mission to represent other boots that Rockfish are kindly donating.

Florina Rocked In her New Wellies

Florina is a very bright girl just like many of us, she is trying her very best in a difficult situation. Sadly in her village near the Transylvanian Mountains, she comes from one of the poorest families. We were told her only real hope out of her situation was to marry well. Her father unfortunately is only able to get seasonal work on farms in the summer and it is common for him to be paid in vegetables. The rest of the year he goes door to door in search of odd jobs. Florina is walking miles in the hope of finishing her education, often in severe weather conditions. When it rains most of the roads turn to mud and the snow when it arrives settles in for months on end.

We met Florina at the annual Christmas concert and it was made clear that she was wearing her best clothes. We asked if we could do a little impromptu photo shoot outside the local community centre as they were still tuning up their instruments. Florina speaks little English but when the moment came and we gave her the Rockfish Wellies no one had to translate, her face said it all. Florina’s appearance then went from joy to embarrassment, because unbeknown to us she did not want to expose the holes in her socks. After getting over her initial shyness, we spent a lovely 10 minutes with this sweet girl and we all noticed how she grew in self – assurance. By the end of the shoot she was walking with a new found confidence and poise.