You won't know till you ask …Kathy Ware — Baie D'urfe, PQ
The schoolyard was full of spectators, all bursting with enthusiasm and anticipation for the SCAW distribution. All eyes were fixed on the team as we prepared the photo site and made sure the flow from the photo station to bedkit distribution area was as fast and efficient as possible. In the background, roaring cheers could be heard as other members of the Togo team presented the actual bedkits to the parents and the children. Excitement was definitely in the air. As we finally got underway, I watched the smiling children walk to their excited parents, proudly carrying a mattress that was far bigger than themselves. But I wondered, "Did this bedkit really meet the specific needs of these Togolese children who have so little?" The children and their parents, the teachers and the villagers were full of heartfelt gratitude, and we, the distribution team, were proud of the all the gifts that we were delivering on behalf of the SCAW donors. Yet, the question continued to nag me as the day continued to become, unbelievably, hotter. Several questions were on my mind. Were the items in the bedkit a result of Western values that were inadvertently imposed on the Overseas Volunteer Organization or was each article in the bedkit in the very best interest in the lives of these beautiful, unique children?
To answer this, Sleeping Children travelling volunteers have been interviewing parents and guardians at each distribution for the past several years to determine what would make our bedkits even better. How could we modify the bedkits to meet their challenging needs? We asked parents, hypothetically, to choose between more material and pre-made clothes. Would they prefer the all cotton shorts and tops to the synthetic outfit? What two items would they remove? What two items would they add? We asked them to tell us that if they could change the bedkit in any way, what would they do? And we took notes, lots of notes. As a result of more than thirty interviews, we were able to gather very intimate details of what our recipients' needs are. We are now equipped to give our Overseas Volunteer Organization a series of specific recommendations that came directly from the people receiving the bedkits. I am confident that all 4,000 of our bedkits were delivered to children in great need. I also believe that each and every family was profoundly grateful. As a result of the surveys I know that the needs of the SCAW children will continue to be well served in the future. I'm so glad that we thought to ask! |
