Hot, Hot, Hot
Sandra Dryden — Oakville, ON
The delight of the children receiving their bedkits is thrilling. Their shy smiles or big toothy grins warms the heart. It is not only a gift that they are receiving but hopefully an appropriate bedkit for their climate conditions.
The Philippines in May has temperatures ranging from 33ªC to 38ªC. Beautiful hot sunny days with maybe an afternoon shower. The rainy season will start soon. The temperature will be a bit cooler but still hot by Canadian standards.
Much thought has been put into the selection of all the bedkit items. SCAW has a basic list of required items but Overseas Volunteer Organizations (in this case Kiwanis) choose what is appropriate in their circumstances.
For example: The ground mat is a plastic woven mat 75" X 36". This sleeping mat is not as hot as foam and can dry easily. The local bedmat made of plant fibre is difficult to dry in the rainy season or if the child is a bedwetter. This plastic mat can be folded to store. It is a favoured item
I truly believe that a child in the Philippines who receives a bedkit not only feels special but will have a greater chance of that “good night’s sleep.”
Our wish is that all the children who received a bedkit have a better chance of a happy, healthy, and productive life — a wish that is shared by the parent.
Imagine
I interviewed a mother with Alice Torres as an interpreter. As the mother viewed the bedkit items she told her story: She has three children. The middle nine-years-old child has Down syndrome.
The youngest, the bedkit recipient, is sickly with lung problems. Their family lost everything in the volcanic eruption of Mt Mayon and the typhoon which followed.
Her husband recently had a stroke, probably due to the family stress. Now they live on what she can earn,40 Philippine pesos, which is approximately 80 cents CDN per day.
Imagine her emotions as her child receives a bedkit
