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Team Reports
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• Gary Jewitt
• Linda Straus
• Lisa Jamieson
• Liz Vandewater
• Bob Barclay

You can also download a PDF version of this report from our Distributions page.

Haves, Have-nots, Will-haves

Lisa Jamieson — Walkerton, ON

From Tanzania 2009

The haves and the have-nots. It hardly seems fair. From industrialized Canada to developing Tanzania. From the urban businesses of Dar es Salaam to the rural desolation of the surrounding villages. From 7,000 happy children to many left without.

Two rookies, three veterans and one team leader, accepted the challenges of this distribution with hope, teamwork, and optimism. My hope is that my first distribution with SCAW is not my last.

What began as eighteen days in Africa has become an eye-opening and priority re-evaluating experience. Do we want to help them all? Of course. Can we help them all? Not in one distribution. However, we are one million strong and counting.

From Tanzania 2009

My first emotional tug at the heartstrings was when a small girl was upset that her name was not on the list of those children who had been pre-selected to receive a bedkit. I was later told that even with 2,000 bedkits a day at each site, there would still be children going home without. Practically, I realize that, but how do you tell that to an eight year old who can do nothing but watch with envy as others walk home with smiles? It only motivates SCAW to satisfy the desire of wanting to make every child happy.

When speaking with an aunt who was caring for six children, she simply told me, “When you have nothing, we are grateful for anything.”

But Tanzanians don’t have nothing; they have each other, their strength of spirit, and their desire to make the life they are living the best possible. They sing with pride, they help without thought, they dream big.

These are lessons that many of us can learn in our own culture of elitist thinking. Their ability to be resourceful embarrasses our throw-away society. Tanzanians are grateful, humble and generous.

From Tanzania 2009

It is possible to make changes. While changes can be small and simple, they often have a profound impact on those involved. Change is born of desire, continues with action, and preserves with hope. While my changes have been on a personal level, it is with SCAW’s vision that these changes remain on an international level. With SCAW’s continued work and support, my hope is that soon, there will be the haves and the will-haves.