SCAW Blog: Cameroon, 2025: September 18

Today we went to a school in Bomongo Gare and distributed 350 bedkits to students from the school as well as children from the local village.  It was another very hot and humid day but “everyday is like this” said our driver, Roger.  Cameroon is a bilingual country just like Canada but the area where we are staying is primarily French-speaking.  My high school French teacher would be pleased to hear me speaking French each day (although I am far from fluent).  The children and staff seem to appreciate that I am trying my best to communicate. As always, a handshake, high five, thumbs up and big smile are the universal language of communication and friendship. I will always treasure those interactions with the children.

Tomorrow is our last day and we will be off to one more school to distribute another 350 bedkits before we fly home tomorrow night.

Team Cameroon, 2025

United Action for Children of Cameroon 🇨🇲 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Cameroon, 2025: September 17

Today we had the pleasure of meeting the chief of Bomono ba Mbenquè.  Monsieur Dibanda welcomed us into his home and was grateful that the children of l’École Publique de Bomono ba Mbenquès and surrounding areas were going to receive their bedkits.

Our group was very impressed with the patience, enthusiasm, joy and the warm welcome we received from the children.  We were able to make 425 children super happy today. 

Team Cameroon, 2025

United Action for Children of Cameroon 🇨🇲 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: September 4

Our ninth day of distribution was held at Ibrahim Gamero school. Our first challenge was for our driver to negotiate access roads to the school which were very narrow and cluttered with vehicles. After drop-off we all descended steep narrow stone steps without hand rails and already congested with children, parents and numerous dogs, to enter the school. This slowed our progress.

The school had been built on the side of a cliff with small classrooms and two sets of access stairs. Our leader tĥen had to develop a plan for the steps of the distribution: registration, tee-shirts, backpacks, staging, pictures, bedkits and exit. All stages were set up quickly with the help of our Rotarians, Rotoractors and municipal supporters who had been working with us and knew our set-up plan. 

We were then ready to initiate our distribution and the waìting and excited children were processed into our stages initially in groups of 10.  This allowed our process to move quickly.

Some of the younger children at times seemed nervous and afraid of us as they did not fully understand who we were and what was happenin̈g, but we had individuals with us speaking Spanish and providing support to address any concerns. Several delays in our process occurred due to children being delayed by traffic or scheduling but eventually we completed our distribution of 501 bedkits.

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: September 3

We are in Honduras, a country that makes your mind contort as you look around.  There is a large influence from the other “America” here - everything from KFC, to McDonalds, to Walmart, Costco, Dunkin Donuts - and coffee shops on every corner. When you look at the other side of the road you will see shanties (chabolas) that are merely stone walls with metal roofs with logs on the roof to hold them down in the wind. But what is also here is crime, although you might not see it as obviously. Here the gangs run the rural parts of the country, just outside the city, where the poorest of the poor are.

It is risky for us “gringos” to venture into those areas and also risky for the children who come to collect their bedkits, as we are traversing on their territory.  So we teeter on the edge . . . going to schools near - or between - gang run areas (with police or municipal escorts, of course - just in case).  That's about as close as we can get that will allow us to help the children, but not endanger anyone, and that keeps our Rotarian and Rotaractor colleagues safe and at peace with their community.  

So why do we come here if it's somewhat dangerous?  Well we don't really go into danger zones, but mostly because the children need us! So far we have been to 3 schools in borderline areas and each school has thanked us immensely for “not forgetting them,” and for including their children in our program.  The smiles, the comments such as “God bless you,” of “I love you” that we hear from the children  along with the high-fives and the hugs help us all know how gratifying this work can be. 

Maybe WE are the hope that these children need to feel pulling them towards a different way of life as they get older?

That’s why we come here.

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: September 2

As a fellow Rotarian and a past Rotaractor (young/future Rotarians) it warms my heart to know how Rotarians are very dedicated in their service to mankind all over the world. Here in Honduras, members of the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa have many projects but Sleeping Children is one of their top initiatives. This also applies to the Rotaractors who this year invited other Rotaractor clubs in the city to join the distribution to both see what it is and to engage in cross-club initiatives and networking.  It is the strength and dedication of these two organizations that pull this all together and deliver it alongside our SCAW travelling volunteers.

In cooperation with SCAW over the past approx. 20 years, these organizations have improved the lives and given hope for the future of over 100,000 Honduran children. 

We are very excited and humbled to be crossing this milestone with them on this distribution.

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: September 1

Today’s school had a very confined centre court. The children were streaming in one closely guarded door as the street was full of excited parents, relatives and community members.

The school presented us with a very exuberant dance routine using vibrantly ribboned hoops and gymnastics.

The distribution of 486 bedkits flowed smoothly. As an added bonus for the children today they received medical attention from a team of health care providers.

Mawdy is an international organization in 23 countries and operates in Honduras to provide a suite of insurance services. They brought many staff and the health care organization they contract with (Integrasalud Hn) provided health care services to the children. Dental care staff applied fluoride treatment. Nurses and doctors gave out vitamins and deworming medication and did health checks as needed. Mawdy has been supporting SCAW with this one day of services for 3 years, and next year they want to extend it to two days.
This service is available for children, teaching and administrative staff of the schools, and parents, when the delivery of the bedkits allows it.

The family doctor who attended, identified the top three health challenges for Honduran children; access to care, tinea (fungal infections of the skin on the body and feet), and dengue (a mosquito-born viral infection). The mosquito netting included in the bedkits will be especially appreciated.

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: August 29

So far, all the bedkits have been distributed on the grounds of schools.  Most of the schools have a central courtyard (play or assembly area) ringed by classrooms. 

Although gray cement abounds, great care has been taken to make these spaces bright and cheerful learning areas.  The walls are painted in bright colours, lessons are posted on the walls, interesting art hangs from the ceiling, and eye catching displays adorn the spaces.

Each day we look forward to seeing the creativity these educators bring to their students to enhance their learning experience.

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: August 28

On distribution day 4, we left the city to travel 20 miles to the forest. With our trusty Rotarian driver, Casar,  we navigated hills, curves, bumps and dirt roads on our way to Los Limones in Central District, arriving at Sergio Palacios School. Upon arrival, our competent Rotarian and Rotaract teams initiated set-up of our shade canopy to provide a comfortable space for our distribution.

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Our distribution team reviewed the premises to plan how to use the space and set up our camera, bedkits and left space to manage the flow of the children.

Upon completion of set-up, a welcome and thankful exercise was presented by the school along with prayers and a musical performance by an aspiring young female vocalist. We then completed our distribution of 431 bedkits to very thankful, happy and smiling boys and girls. 

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Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: August 27

Beating the Rain

As all of our sights in Honduras are school locations, today is no different. This primary Catholic school, Escuel Monsenor Fallis, is much larger than previous schools with a huge courtyard. The Rotarians erected a large tent which provided ample protection from the elements for the kids. Rain threatened all day but it was the wind that caused more complications with the huge tent nearly achieving lift-off numerous times. With approximately 600 bedkits to distribute today’s distribution is larger than most.

When we finished, Rotarians and Rotaracts invited our team to lunch at Portobello, where we all enjoyed pizza. With impeccable timing the skies opened and it poured!

The day wrapped up with us attending the weekly Rotarian Social, which was held at our hotel. Another successful day!

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: August 26

We arrived at the school, Pedro Nufio, which we had visited yesterday post-distribution to scope out the best site for picture-taking and to develop flow logistics. The municipality had set up a large tent providing shade over the small centre court for the children to enter, be dressed in t-shirts and given backpacks, and be ready to move for picture-taking.

The team was given a warm welcome and treated to a lively Honduran dance performed by girls dressed in brightly-coloured  skirts.

The boys wore their straw wide-brimmed hats (chapellerie traclet).

Their  smiles and joy were shared with us!

Many municipal volunteers, as well as Rotarian and Rotaracts, helped the SCAW team with all the steps involved in distributing the bedkits.

Some of children travelled an hour from other schools to attend and receive their bedkit. They were so thankful and happy.

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: August 25

Distribution #1 is in the Books!

Today was a very successful start for Team Honduras.  Five hundred and twenty-three bedkits were distributed today with relative ease.  With Danielle on the photos, Masud lining up the kids, Cathy staging, Sue pulling labels, Jan checking labels and Bill handing out bedkits we preformed like a well-oiled machine. 

This could not have been achieved without the unwavering support and hard work of the Tegucigalpa Rotary and Rotaracts, and of course our very generous donors.  We hope all those adorable children are enjoying a good night’s sleep tonight.

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2025: August 24

The Honduras 2025 team has arrived and is already hard at work. We had our first meeting with some of the Rotarian team this morning.  We examined all the items in the bedkit that the children will receive (spoiler alert: they are great!); were told of the locations; discussed the general site setup; and heard about all the hard work that has already been done by the Rotarians to make this distribution of 5000 bedkits run smoothly. 

Tomorrow we meet the children and we are so excited!

Team Honduras, 2025

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August 23

Today was our last day of distributing another 500 bedkits at GS Cyivugiza, one of the suburbs of Kigali.  Our Overseas Volunteer Partner, the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga (RCKV) site manager was already on site when we arrived, making sure that all was set for another successful day of helping children get the benefit of a better sleep experience.

The families were already waiting in anticipation in a combination of shade and hot sun.  We figured out quickly how to most efficiently have the children registered, pictures taken, given a bedkit and have them re-united with their waiting families, with smiles all the way around.

While waiting for the distribution to start, there were local ‘cheerleaders’ leading all assembled into song and dance expressing their love for a united Rwanda.  Here is a small video of what we saw:

Prior to starting each distribution this year, we had either the mayor or a representative to provide opening remarks to the waiting families followed by the Rotary Club representative who explained what is going to happen next. Our SCAW team was given the opportunity to thank the Rotary Club for making all this possible as well as showing what was in the bedkit this year . . . to the delight of everyone there!

Then the process officially started.  When all runs smoothly, we have been able to hand out 500 bedkits in under two hours to ensure that the families, some who have come from afar on foot, can get home before dark.

These last 10 distribution days have been an amazing experience for our whole team, consisting of members from the RCKV in all its forms - from adults (Rotarians), University students (Rotaracts) to teenagers in high school (Interacts) - to the local volunteers, the security guards, the site host (school or government site) and our own SCAW team of five.  No matter the challenges that we faced, we were able to resolve them as a team to ensure a successful distribution for the day.

Being a SCAW team member with the opportunity to make a difference with others of like mind in a country like Rwanda is just an amazing experience!  The long days, interesting sights over various roads that include the “African Massage” experience once you leave the paved roads are just part of it.  The most pleasant and rewarding part of these distributions is seeing the children and their families’ reactions when they are given their bedkit to take home. 

They are the reason we do this.  We know that getting a good night's sleep is vital for their health, their ability to learn better, and to handle their circumstances a little easier. 

We successfully distributed 5,000 bedkits over these 10 days in various regions of Rwanda.  We are grateful to the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga and all other volunteers who made it possible. 

We leave tonight knowing that we have made a difference to those children and their families and have helped them thrive a little better by providing them with a good night’s sleep!

For the children.

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 an

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August 22

We love to watch the bustling life all around as we drive up and down the never-ending rolling hills of Rwanda.

Everywhere there are beautiful colour combinations in women’s clothing.  The women are always meticulously dressed.  Another wonder is watching how babies and small children are carried on their mother’s backs.  Just using small blankets and some magical twists of fabrics, the babies are snug and secure.

Today on our home visit, this mother had two small rooms to share with her four children.  She rented her space for 40,000 RWF which is the equivalent of about $40 CAD per month!  She had a shelf with pots and pans and cooking supplies. The walls of the rooms were made out of mud bricks and stucco with a concrete floor.  She made her meals on a small charcoal stove in the outdoor space.  

Her home was situated a short walk from the main paved road going down a narrow path winding past other similar homes. 

The two very small rooms had one electric, bare, dim, light bulb each that provided a minimum of light during the night.  

The bedkit items were a much appreciated addition to this humble home and will improve the sleep of the child that received it.

Across the hill from this home, we could see new apartment buildings built by the government for affordable housing.  Families were moved from an over-crowded area while this apartment complex was built and then moved back into small but comfortable apartments.

Tomorrow will be our final distribution day.

For the children.

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August 21

This morning we had a couple of minutes before our departure when we were able to enjoy the garden at our hotel. Our driver showed us they have squash that grows 2 metres high and that they can even eat the leaves! We also saw and heard African kites flying overhead.

We arrived at our distribution site in good time and set up photos under a Madagascar almond. There was a lovely wooded area with silk oak and hoop pine as well.

The distribution of 500 bedkits went very smoothly and in record-breaking time but it was sad to have to turn a few away who were hoping there were extras. I was then able to have an interview with a lovely mom and her child who were so grateful for the bedkit. They have been sleeping on a bare concrete floor and have nothing remaining after dad left them.

We made a home visit next. There was a one room mud house for mom and her two children who sleep on the floor. They cook on an open fire and also have a latrine and a well. They rent the house for $30 a month and share cooking with the community. They do grow some vegetables and have a tamarillo tree.

Since we didn’t have too far to drive we went to the Nyamata Genocide Memorial. We had a very harrowing but educational tour there.

On the way home we stopped at a small fruit stand where we bought oranges, bananas and mango. The vendor was so happy and declared “You made my day!”

For the Children,

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August 20

After completing our distributions in the Northern Province today, 20 August, we began our remaining bedkit distribution that will happen over the next four days starting with the Nduba Secondary School, district of Gasabo, city of Kigali.  We reached our destination early and all the parents along with the children were patiently waiting until the children received their bedkit. Meanwhile, some of the school teachers were keeping the children in order with songs and sermons. We had distributed over 300 bedkits in less than a couple of hours in the first half of the day. Then we had to wait for the remaining children to come as they had a holiday school exam to write.

The second half of the distribution took place amid a big crowd of parents and children. It was amazing to notice how happy the children and their parents were to be receiving the bedkit after walking over 15 km just to reach the distribution venue. They looked tired yet kept those great smiles on their faces and never forgot to say Murakoze (Thank you or Mercy) to us.

It was quite heart-warming to see the maxims/moral sermons displayed throughout the school, such as the following: TUBIBA AMAHARO ( We're Peace Makers), TWITAKUBANDI (We Care for One Another), TURUBAHANA (We Respect One Another) and TURU ROHERANA ( We Don't Fight One Another). 

Prior to the distribution, the Executive Secretary (Vice Mayor) in Charge of Social Affairs, the Gasabo District, Ms. Jeanne Nibagwire and the SCAW Team Lead Joep Diening spoke before the audience. The SCAW Team then displayed all the items that were in the bedkits. The turnout of youth volunteers, both the Rotaractors and the community volunteers, were relatively fewer than the other days which made the distribution a bit of a challenge.

In the evening, the SCAW team attended the Fellowship meeting of the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga where Joep Diening spoke about SCAW. The Rtn. President presiding over the meeting handed their club banner to Joep in recognition of SCAW's outstanding services. 

For the children,

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August 19

After our day off, we were ready to jump back into our bedkit distribution today. We drove to a school in the Gicumbi District, north of Kigali.  Together with the Rotarians and Rotaractors, and some local volunteers, we gave out 583 bedkits bringing our total to 3000. The singing and smiles of the children and their parents warms our hearts and brings a smile to our faces too.

In addition to the bedkit distributions, we have been making a home visit most days.  This allows us to see the conditions the children live in and understand the value of the bedkits.  The families have been welcoming, opening their doors and showing us their homes.  This usually includes 2-3 small rooms for sleeping, a common living room and a small “kitchen” in a separate building.

Some homes have some livestock such as goats or a cow.  In this mountainous country, getting to the homes frequently involves walking up or down a steep path from the road, but the views they have are spectacular.  These people are strong and agile!  

For the children.

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August 16

Day 4 - a late blog

Our group headed out at a comfortable hour of 8:00 for what turned out to be a two hour drive. We had a very interesting drive complete with monkeys, tea plantations and crazy back country roads under construction.

At the school we had  an assembly of 1000 children, students and volunteers and it was lovely to watch them sing and dance together.

We walked a kilometer along a steep path to a home visit. The mother and children greeted us in her house with 2 bedrooms and a separate kitchen where the goat sleeps. There is also a cow in a corral. It was great to see sweet potatoes and bananas growing there.

For the Children,

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August 18

Today is a much needed rest day.  

Some team members decided to literally rest while catching up on lost sleep, others decided to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to gain a better understanding of some of the Rwandan history while still others are catching up on some of the administrative requirements of SCAW.

Distribution days tend to be long with an early rise, a quick breakfast, a couple of hours drive into the country- side on a combination of paved roads and those that give you a guaranteed “African Massage” as explained to us by our excellent, professional driver. We normally get back well after the sun has set to start the process again the next day.

While on yesterday’s distribution, we experienced a wonderful example of singing parents and children as can be seen in this video:

But today, we slept in, had a leisurely breakfast at 8:30 am and then proceeded to do what we wanted to do.

We are halfway through our distribution with five days done and just short of 2,500 bedkits distributed. We will be starting Day 6 of 10 days of our distribution and should be done with 5,000 bedkits given to the children by Saturday, 23 August.

Although we are in the current dry season cycle of Rwandan weather, last night we were treated to a tremendous downpour of water including a complete lightning light show and very close sonic booms, right overhead. Today has been a drizzly/rainy kind of day to the surprise of our Rwandan hosts. They keep telling us that it is dry season! Hopefully, for tomorrow’s distribution, we go back to a normal dry season distribution day! We can’t wait to see those happy faces when they get their bedkits.

For the Children.

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Rwanda, 2025: August, 17

Being on a SCAW distribution requires you to live in the moment, be flexible, resilient, focused, and very much open to a variety of experiences.

Rwanda is an amazing country that continues to work very hard as Rwandans focus on bettering the life that they live.  Everywhere you look, people are moving either by walking, on bikes, motorcycles, cars, vans, buses and trucks.  And all these modes of transportation know how to weave in and out while integrating their movement on the road that they share in what seems to be guided by some invisible master conductor.

Given that Rwanda is a very mountainous country, when travelling on the roads, you are continuously going up and down, while turning left and right.  

You see people walking with a variety of loads on their heads.  

You see bicycles equipped primarily with single gears, carrying amazing loads - from people on the back as bike taxis, to loads of hundreds of pounds of fruit, vegetables, building supplies or furniture going up and down these hills!  You can see the effort, strength and determination it takes of those who ride these bikes!

Then there are the myriad of motorcycle taxis who really are the master weavers as they negotiate heavy traffic and swirl around slower vehicles in a very gentle yet purposeful manner to get to their destination in the shortest possible time so that they can get the next fare.

The cars, vans, buses and trucks pass each other often under various road conditions using a horn or a signal to warn each other while helping each other getting to their destination.  For most of the country, the speed limit is 60 km per hour with a few stretches where up to 80 km per hour is allowed.  These speeds are constantly monitored through the ever-present photo radar that is everywhere. Also, the Rwandan police are very vigilant and watching while working as teams to ensure any traffic offences are dealt with efficiently.  

The movement of all of these modes of transportation resemble the movement of the jitterbug, tango, slow waltz, and every other modern dance you can think of given the interaction between drivers who look at each other while moving forward. And the bottom line: we have seen no accidents and it all works!

At the end of the day, we join the cacophony of traffic with the visual memories of the happy, smiling faces of children who received a bedkit today.  It makes everything that we experience so worthwhile!

For the Children,

Team Rwanda, 2025

Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦