The Overseas VolunteersHelene Compeau — Loretto, ON As the translator for this year’s Sleeping Children team, I had the opportunity to develop relationships with many of the Togolese people. I learned quite a lot from our OVO members. They explained what it was like to live in Togo, and shared information about their way of life. For example, they often only have one meal per day, consisting of their staple food: corn flour paste and sauce. Sometimes green beans and spinach were added, but meat is a rare luxury. They must pay for all their education and health care. What a difference from here in Canada. I feel so fortunate. Unfortunately, once children have finished their education, there are very few jobs for them. The people work hard with what they can, but lack the variety of work opportunities that we in North America might take for granted. Several of the overseas volunteers were unemployed university graduates who had sacrificed so much to get their degrees but could not find work. For those still in school, walking an hour to and from school is not uncommon. Somehow, in the midst of such adversity, people manage to smile and not complain. I so admire their courage. I also gained insight into the appropriateness of the bedkit items by conducting surveys with both children and parents. They explained the importance of each item and felt that every piece of the bedkit was useful. I was overjoyed to receive their appreciation. I was also touched by their pride, joy, and perseverance. Having the opportunity to speak with these people was the highlight of this trip. I felt I could connect with them, even though we come from very different backgrounds.
I often became very emotional as I learned more about their unfortunate circumstances; however, I also cried tears of joy and happiness. At our first distribution, as we were showing the children the bedkit articles they were about to receive, I was overwhelmed. Their cheers were so loud, and smiles so big, I couldn’t help but share in that joy and excitement. I was amazed at their patience as they waited in line for their special gift. The children were so well behaved and I was truly impressed that some as young as six years old could be so respectful. My favourite part of the distribution days was bringing the children in line before their photo. Here, their faces turned from being a little bit nervous into joyful as I helped them relax and smiled with them. I was also very touched by the selflessness of our overseas volunteers. They did so much work to prepare for the distributions and helped keep them running smoothly. After witnessing their dedication, I was shocked to learn that many on them lived in conditions just as sparse as the children receiving bedkits. They never complained, yet many did not own mattresses themselves. This is a beautiful example of communities working together. |
