 Team Reports |
One Million BedkitsEdie Haslauer — Milford, ON
Thanks to Sleeping Children’s donors 5,000 bedkits were distributed in Kenya at nine different distribution sites between Nairobi and Kisumu. The distribution was even more moving for me because it was the Year of the Millionth Bedkit. On my first distribution fifteen years ago I never dreamed that a million children around the world would receive bedkits. Romy Madan, of the Nairobi Rotary Club, was the coordinator/organizer for the bedkits which included the twenty-four items listed in the sidebar at left. Sourcing out these items involves a tremendous amount of time and effort. Romy negotiated with local suppliers for best prices without compromising on quality. He shared with the team his pleasure in being able to improve the quality of the mattress to a thicker foam rubber from the previous year. As a result the mattress alone weighed two kilograms. Rather than foam rubber flip flops, he also negotiated for a flip flop made of stronger rubber. The children were especially delighted by the addition of school supplies.
When we conducted surveys of the parents whose children had received bedkits, the parents stressed over and over again how important the warm blankets were to the children during the seasonally cold nights. I was surprised how cool the nights were when we were sitting on the equator. Parents were also pleased that their children were receiving mosquito nets and told us that the bedkits would provide a safer and warmer night and better sleep for their children. Tremendous organization is needed to transport bedkits. A seven-ton truck can carry 250 bedkits. Think of how many truckloads were needed to transport the 5,000 bedkits to the nine distribution sites. At the sites a secure area had to be found and guarded until distribution day. On that day the efforts of donors, office volunteers, travelling volunteers and overseas volunteers came together to give a bedkit to a child.
Each should have the satisfaction of knowing that another needy, deserving child received, often for the first time in their life, a personal possession, a bedkit. That is a true expression of love. |
