 Team Reports |
Evaluating the bedkitsNorma Fenner — Etobicoke, ON
All doubts dissipated three days later when I stepped down from our van at our first distribution and saw the beautiful Bangladesh children all in rows waiting for us. The excitement on their faces in anticipation of receiving a bedkit was amazing. There were many "special" moments on the distribution but one that has a special significance for me was being able to spend about an hour with the mothers of children receiving a bedkit. This was part of a SCAW evaluation conducted periodically. We spoke to parents one on one and received many good suggestions that will help SCAW provide the best possible bedkits for the children in Bangladesh. We asked about the usefulness of the items in the bedkit, which items were valued the most, which item was valued the least, and what other items might be included.
It was unanimous. The three most important items were the mattress, the blanket, and the mosquito net. We also learned that the bedkit contents would be shared with other members of the family. The blanket was large enough to cover more than one child; the mosquito net, because of its size and rectangular shape, could cover a number of children. As mothers we seemed very different, but as the survey continued I soon learned that was not the case. We really were more alike than different. All parents want the same for their children no matter where we live: love, food, shelter, the ability to attend school, happiness, health, and hope for the future. |
As we were nearing Dhaka I became rather excited about all that was before me. Not only was this to be my first, but it was also to be one of the longest distributions -- three weeks -- and the biggest: 8,000 bedkits. We watched BBC World News on the airplane and saw that there were political disturbances with blockades and unrest in Dhaka and I suddenly had second thoughts. Was I ready for this challenge?