history

Flip Flop Foundation was formed in 2006 with the goal of improving the well being of Zambian orphans. Zambia, with a population of 11.5 million people, is among the world’s poorest nations. It is reported that 64% of the population lives on less than $1 a day. In addition to abject poverty, Zambia is also fighting a war against HIV/AIDS. Roughly 15% of the adult population (between 15-49) is living with HIV/AIDS. 1.1 million orphans now survive without the benefit of one or both parents.

Since 2006, Flip Flop Foundation has worked with local partners to provide basic necessities, including footwear, clothing, food, school supplies, health & hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, sporting equipment, and toys. This work falls under the category of “immediate relief.” While immediate relief will always be a mainstay of our mission, we expanded our approach in 2008 and then again in 2009 to include “intermediate care” and “long-term change.”

We seek to provide intermediate care by supporting organizations that educate and enrich the community through dance, drama, and team sportsmanship. One specific example of this work is our partnership with the Tiyanjane Theater Organization. Tiyanjane creates and performs community drama on pressing social and medical issues, including cholera, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and defilement. The initial dance and drum performance draws the attention of children throughout the community. This leads into a humorous, and very informative act that the children can comprehend.

We aim to foster long-term change in Zambian communities by supporting institutions that provide skills training to Zambian women. Our goal is to empower individuals, particularly women, towards self-sufficiency so that they may create multigenerational change.

The implementation of our mission has always focused around partnerships with local Zambian organizations. In doing so, we believe that we are able to effectively leverage existing infrastructure, thereby making our work more efficient. Working with long-standing organizations also allows us to accurately evaluate and select the best organizations to implement our mission. Since 2006, we have developed relationships with numerous Zambian institutions that provide direct care for children, such as schools, orphanages, church organizations and hospices. We also partner with local and international non-governmental organizations working in Zambia, helping them to fulfill their missions by supplying needed provisions. All of our Zambian operations are coordinated by our Zambian Executive Committee and Zambian staff.

The Flip Flop Foundation is able to carry out its work through donations received from individuals, religious groups, service organizations, corporations and foundations. As our team and offices are located in both the U.S. and Zambia, our donors are also internationally diverse.

Our Founder and Executive Director, Shira Rohde, PhD, traveled to Zambia as a Pfizer Global Health Fellow in 2006 to work on an HIV/AIDS project. It was during this time that she was touched by the plight of Zambians. Upon returning to the States, Shira began the process to create and build a non-profit organization, which included the assembly of a Board that would be capable of providing leadership for both the programmatic and operational elements necessary to run a world-class philanthropic organization. Today, our U.S. Board consists of physicians, scientists, a lawyer, accounting specialists, and business development professionals.