Team Reports |
"Tawa, tawa, tawa!"Duncan Macgregor — Etobicoke, ON
Tawa means "smile" and 4,000 children in the Philippines did indeed smile when they received bedkits at the end of November. Sleeping Children Around the World [SCAW] carried out a special distribution there to help children affected by this fall's typhoon floods. The articles written by Sue Small and Linda Taiabjee in this newsletter will give you some idea of what we saw and experienced during this whirlwind trip to the Philippines as a result of the typhoons that hit these islands in the Pacific. The article by Don Macgregor will provide a glimpse into what he saw and experienced during his first Sleeping Children bedkit distribution. My comments will centre in on the players who brought this whole distribution into being at such a short notice.
The team was made up of four individuals. Linda Taiabjee, who was born in the Philippines and had been on several previous distributions to the Philippines, agreed to be a part of our team even though she would be getting back from the SCAW distribution in Nicaragua only a week before we would be taking the long flight to Manila on November 16th, Linda was able to provide guidance to our team through her previous experiences and background in the Philippines. Sue Small had been on two previous Sleeping Children distributions and came to our rescue on short notice. Sue is short and small, but big in heart and love for the children. Don Macgregor was our rookie and it is always neat to see things through the eyes of a person who has not been on a bedkit distribution before. Don did not disappoint in that regard and I had the opportunity of travelling with my oldest son – what a special treat and blessing for a father! I had not been to the Philippines previously so this was a new experience for the Team Leader as well. Many people with whom I work are from the Philippines and it was a special opportunity to see and experience where they had come from. The team came together quickly and acted as one throughout the six days of distribution. The love shown by all members of our team to the children and their families indeed made the bedkit "A Gift of Love."
The SCAW Core Committee, our ten-person Overseas Volunteer Organization, is a well-oiled machine led by Dr. Juan Torres, commonly referred to as Dr. Ito. They were gracious hosts and tireless, passionate workers. Core Committee members were with us each day from breakfast time to day's end. They have been doing this work for decades. When one considers that they had six weeks to purchase over 80,000 items, sort and pack them into bedkits, and store them in a house no less ready for distribution, you have to take your hat off to these wonderful hard-working individuals. They even have the trucking of the bedkits to each distribution site down to a science because trucks cannot deliver in the Metro Manila area until after 9 pm at night. SCAW usually sends a six-person team, but our team of four was able to carry out our end of the distribution process because there were volunteers at each distribution site to register the children, dress them in their new clothing for the picture, feed them while they were waiting, make sure each site was secure from pilferage or harassment, and ensure that the children returned safely with their bedkits to their parents or guardians.
At the SCAW office, volunteers had to put the pieces for this distribution together very quickly. Accounting for donations of 4,000 bedkits and preparing the labels for our picture taking while in the Philippines is no easy task. Our team appreciated the efforts that our office volunteers made to get things ready so we could provide a "Gift of Love" to 4,000 Filipino children. Where did this term "Gift of Love" come from? Well, it was printed on each bedkit bag and there is no doubt in my mind that there is a "ton of love" put into each bedkit right from the person making the donation, the SCAW volunteers who come together in all aspects of the administration of our charity, the Philippines Core Committee and their many volunteers who are excited about the SCAW project in their country, and the SCAW team members who have the best job of all – giving the "Gift of Love." Yes, there were tawas all around at the end of our six days of distribution in the Philippines. It was a special experience for each team member who had the privilege and the opportunity to be in the Philippines from November 18 to 24. It was a quick trip – but it was worth it. Within six weeks, our travelling team had come together and acted as one throughout the distribution. Thanks to all who provided Linda, Sue, Don, and me with the opportunity to greet and meet 4,000 lovely beautiful and smiling children in the Philippines. Tawa, tawa, tawa! |
