Today was the Day 3 Distribution in a picturesque location surrounded by mountains and a lot of tea plantations on the land named Base in the Rulindo District of the Northern Province. The travel experience today was relatively more comfortable and enjoyable as the roads were less bumpy.
The SCAW Team started for the distribution destination at 7:15 am and reached there by 9:30 am. The Vice Mayor in Charge of Social Affairs of the Rulindo District, Mr Mutaganda Theophile, along with quite a few Rotarians including the President of the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga, were present during the distribution of the bedkits. The location of the distribution was the GS Kiruli Primary and Secondary level school compound which was quite ideal for the distribution.
All the parents along with the children came early and were patiently seated until the children received their bedkits after going through SCAW's regular procedure of sitting for a photo shoot. It was a bright and sunny day with comfortable weather. There was wider participation of youth volunteers, both the Rotaractors and the community volunteers, that made the whole distribution experience quicker and smoother.
Everyone at the distribution was in a festive mood. Prior to the distribution, the Vice Mayor, Mr. Theophile and the SCAW Team Lead, Mr Diening spoke before the audience and displayed all items that were in the bedkits. All parents and children present highly lauded the noble effort of SCAW and expressed their gratitude by a warm round of applause. SCAW Team members each have carried out their assigned role diligently.
One mother, along with her child who received one of the bedkits ,was interviewed on-site by one of the SCAW members. After the distribution, the SCAW Team along with the Vice Mayor, Rotarians, Rotaractors and other volunteers paid a visit to the nearby home of one of the child recipients of the bedkit. The home was located up on the hill and the family (the mother and her daughter) were present during the home visit. It's been quite intriguing to notice that many of the children came from far distant remote areas, walking for hours to receive the bedkit.
Our way back took nearly an hour and we noticed that quite a few families were still walking back to their homes. It was quite reassuring and only reinforced our spirit of giving to a good cause. We are helping so many children living in hard-to-reach remote areas who desperately need a comfortable bed (mattress and mosquito net) for a good night’s sleep. It was a rewarding and fulfilling once-in-a -lifetime experience to see so many families and children benefitting from SCAW's noble mission. One of the mothers whose daughter received a bedkit expressed her deepest gratitude citing that it mattered most to see that an agency thousands of miles away in Canada cared for her child and came all the way to Rwanda to physically distribute the bedkits. She also thanked the Rwandan Government for allowing agencies like SCAW to care for the children of Rwanda. With the spirit and wisdom of that mother we look forward to our Day 4 distribution tomorrow.
For the children!
Team Rwanda, 2025
Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga 🇷🇼 and SCAW 🇨🇦