Skip to main content

Feel Good Friday: Gandys flip flops and the ‘Orphans for Orphans’ initiative

By TJ Carter Aug 6, 2021 7:45 AM

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

British brothers Rob and Paul Forkan — the founders of flip flop brand Gandys — had an unusual upbringing. They spent much of their adolescence traveling to exotic locales, soaking up different cultures, and working with their parents on a variety of humanitarian missions. Rob and Paul saw first-hand what life was like for poor children in developing nations, and became sympathetic to their plight.

The Forkan family did most of their work in South Asia. They were on the south coast of Sri Lanka in 2004, when the devastating Boxing Day Tsunami claimed the lives of more than 230,000 people around the Indian Ocean. Rob and Paul, then aged 15 and 17, managed to escape the carnage with their two younger siblings. Their parents weren’t so lucky.

Recommended Videos

Relying on the kindness of Sri Lankan strangers, the devastated Forkan siblings hitchhiked to the nearest airport and eventually made their way back to the UK. Over the next several years, Rob and Paul managed to get by thanks to help from family and friends — but they never forgot the poverty-stricken orphans in Sri Lanka who had no such support network.

gandys bros — Image used with permission by copyright holder

After years of working, saving money, and continuing their parents’ work abroad, Rob and Paul founded Gandys in 2011. Ever the resilient humanitarians, Rob and Paul set out to donate 10% of their profits to orphans. Gandys would come to embody the Forkan brothers’ love of travel and their desire to honor their parents’ legacy.

Today, The Gandys Foundation and the Orphans for Orphans initiative provide housing, education, and healthcare to disadvantaged orphans so they can do what Rob and Paul did: Overcome unimaginable tragedy and lead healthy, productive lives.

Related: Sunskis are the perfect surf shades for summer

This year, the Forkan brothers opened the first Gandys Kid Campus in the Sri Lankan village of Mau Gama, 10 years after the devastating tsunami. To this day, 10% of their profits go to help orphans — as does 100% of funds raised by the Gandys Foundation.

If you need to buy a new pair of flip flops this summer, you might as well make a positive difference in the process. We urge you to check out Gandys’ stylish and comfortable flip flops on their website. You might also visit this page to find out how to donate to the Gandys Foundation.

gandys flip flop burned II — Image used with permission by copyright holder

TJ Carter wears many hats, both figuratively and literally. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a degree… Read Full Bio

Cigar Lounge Spotlight: Española Cigar Bar & Lounge in Miami Beach

cigar lounge

I was at Española Cigar Bar & Lounge in Miami Beach earlier this year when the idea for this weekly spotlight first came to mind. I was in town to interview Floyd Mayweather Jr. at a yacht party that turned out to be as bombastic as the 15-time world champion himself. The trip kicked off with dinner at Claudie for a taste of the French Riviera. I was whisked into the restaurant’s private dining room, where guests included a slew of GNC executives, former NBA players, and Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

After five or so Old Fashioneds, three of us decided to keep the night going, and we were all in the mood for stogies, which is always a great idea during one of Miami’s muggy nights. Española Cigar Bar & Lounge was the place to be, and if you’ve ever walked Española Way on a Friday night, you understand why.

Feeling stuck or behind? Here are the five days you need to schedule every month

HIker standing in the sunrise

It feels like every single month, when the calendar turns over (figuratively speaking, unless you still have a physical calendar), there is no way it is already the first of a new month. It can feel like you are stuck in the middle of a grind, that you are behind on everything, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t catch up. Or even move forward. That can weigh on you. Just like a new year creates new motivations, new planning, and new goals, you can break the months into smaller scales.

Your monthly calendar (and even further, going to the week) should reflect the things you want to accomplish. And, if you are feeling stuck, unmotivated, or like you are falling behind, here are five non-negotiable days you should set up every single month to set you up for climbing out of your funk.

On the anniversary of “Dr. No,” here is every EON Bond movie ranked

James Bond at a casino

International James Bond Day is here, and we have been putting all our time and focus into honoring our favorite double-0 with multiple launches, a watch and a book, his best looks, and a ranking of the men who have portrayed 007 across the last sixty years. Today, on the anniversary of Dr. No (the first mission to hit the theaters), we look back at all 25 films under the EON banner (no parodies or spin-offs here) and give you our definitive ranking of every 007 adventure. Some will surprise you, some will not. But all of these are a good time.

Apart from the fact that he wears the same clothes that I wear, he and I really have little in common. I do rather envy him his blondes and his efficiency, but I can’t say I much like the chap. – Ian Fleming