We drove north of Pune to visit the homes of children who had received bedkits in February 2025. The first two homes were in a rural area producing vegetables, corn, and sugar cane. Walking through the settlement we recognized clothing from the bedkits drying on clotheslines and rooftops. The hoodie was spotted several places and one child was wearing the pajamas.
We visited a boy whose parents were at work in the fields so his grandmother was minding her four grandchildren. They showed us the bedkit items and said the hoodie, pajamas, shorts and shirts were well used. They had recently built a two room house which had no furniture but had space for everyone to sleep on the floor. Their old house is now a kitchen and houses the cattle at night to protect them from leopards. Leopards have moved into this area as their habitat is destroyed. There have been several attacks on livestock and humans and no one goes outside after dark.
The second site was in an area of subsistence farmers growing bananas, sugar cane, grapes, chrysanthemums, pomegranates and papayas.
We visited a young girl and her mother and brother. She showed us the bedkit items and especially loved the shorts and shirts as she enjoys sports but never had the proper clothes to wear. The warm bedding and blanket have not been used yet because of the heat wave since February, but she is looking forward to using them as winter sets in.
The final visit was with a boy, his widowed mother, and his grandparents. The boy appreciated the clothing most, however he has had a growth spurt so has outgrown some of the items. His grandmother talked to us about the importance of him getting a good education, an opportunity she never had.
These families were so grateful to SCAW donors for the gift of a bedkit. Despite their hardships, the families were generous to us with their time and insisted on giving us gifts in return - papayas, dill and coriander fresh from the garden and delicious cookies baked with flour grown and prepared from their fields.
We drove off towards a beautiful sunset, feeling that the spirit of giving can be found in everyone.
Team Pune, 2025
Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦