SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: August 14
Team Tanzania 2026: Family, Friendship and Community
For two unforgettable weeks in Dar es Salaam, Team Tanzania 2026 experienced far more than a 10-day distribution. We became part of a community, built friendships, shared countless smiles and witnessed the extraordinary power of family working together to give back.
Over 10 days, we visited 10 schools and provided 700 children each day with a bedkit—7,000 children in total. Every child received a knapsack, school uniform (blue skirt or pants and white t-shirt), T-shirt, flip-flops, mattress, sheet, mosquito net, notebooks, pens and pencils, and a colourful kanga, a traditional piece of Tanzanian cloth that can be used in so many ways: as a towel, a baby carrier, a decorative wrap and much more.
Each morning, before the distribution began, we spoke with mothers and fathers about the importance of a good night's sleep and showed them what their children would be receiving. For many of the children, the flip-flops were especially meaningful; some arrived at school barefoot.
Although our days started early, the energy and enthusiasm of the children inspired us every step of the way. And each school brought us into a different local community, giving us a glimpse into everyday life in Tanzania that few visitors ever experience.
Our time in Tanzania was also about family.
We were privileged to visit Mama Wandoa and her family on their farm outside Dar es Salaam and attend her church, where we were treated to an incredible choir. We met her three children, Benjamin, Wendy and Eunice, who help lead the work as Sleeping Children Around the World's overseas partners in Tanzania, as well as some of her grandchildren, who are also involved on the ground.
The Wandoa family is incredibly close, generous and selfless. For more than two decades, they have given their time and energy to serving their community through Sleeping Children Around the World. At the heart of it all is the formidable matriarch, Mama Wandoa, a woman who is deeply respected throughout Tanzania. We were honoured to work alongside her family and to see firsthand how their commitment to others has become a family tradition passed from one generation to the next.
We also discovered that a distribution is built on friendship and partnership.
Our volunteers worked side by side with Mama Wandoa's family, local volunteers, charity UPENDO and our long-standing mattress partner, Unoplast. Not everyone spoke English, and the few Swahili words we knew were certainly not enough to carry a conversation. But somehow, communication happened. A smile, a gesture, a shared laugh or simply working together was enough.
We were one team.
The Dream Team, Tanzania 2026
Everyone understood why we were there: to give 7,000 children something as simple - and as important - as a safe, comfortable place to sleep. Better sleep can help prepare a child for another day of learning, playing and growing. We may never know what impact these mattresses and bedkits will have years from now. But perhaps that's the point. Big change often begins with small individual acts.
The experience also reminded us why travel with purpose can be so powerful. We didn't just see Tanzania through the eyes of a visitor. We met its people, visited homes and communities, shared meals and music, stood in schools and churches, and experienced the warmth, generosity and resilience of Tanzanian families.
We came to Tanzania to help children. We left feeling that Tanzania had given something to us, too.
The 2026 Team Tanzania experience was ultimately about family, friendship and community - the belief that we are all connected and that each of us can make a difference.
These small acts of kindness won't solve all of the world's problems. But they are an important reminder that kindness and goodness still exist in the world, and that there are people everywhere who believe in giving back.
If you want to travel with purpose, experience a country and its people beyond the sanitized tourist version, and make a meaningful contribution to children and communities around the world, consider travelling with Sleeping Children Around the World.
You may arrive thinking you're going to change a child's life.
You may leave realizing that the experience changed yours, too.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: August 13
SCAW has a long-standing partnership for bedkit distribution in Tanzania, led by the indefatigable Mama Wandoa. She and her team have participated in 25 distributions since 2000.
Last year, the Canadian team included current SCAW Board Vice-Chair, Debbie Will-Dryden, and a student from McGill University, Teegan Nordstrom. Together with Mama Wandoa and Dr. Reut Gruber (McGill), they published an academic paper in the journal Sleep Medicine: X as part of a special issue on “Sleep Without Borders: Breaking Boundaries and Barriers To Promote Sleep Health” that describes the community-driven approach that has been improving children’s sleep for more than two decades.
In a commentary published in the same issue, sleep expert Dr. Oliviero Bruni noted that the Will-Dryden paper “arrives at a moment when the field is actively reframing sleep as a population health imperative rather than a purely clinical endpoint”. He highlights its “quietly radical proposition that constructing a safe, climate-appropriate micro-sleep environment - a mattress, a net, basic bedding, and culturally tuned education - can be a scalable lever for child development in low-resource settings.”
It is encouraging to see the efforts of the Canadian SCAW volunteers and their local partners gaining recognition within the academic sleep community.
Bringing this important discussion into the academic world helps elevate a simple grass roots practical intervention into a broader public health conversation. The hope is that as awareness builds, local schools, communities, and government decision-makers will increasingly recognize the importance of sleep environments for children and adopt or expand similar initiatives - extending the reach of SCAW’s work and vision far beyond its distributions.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: August 11
Two Home Visits, Two Families, One Shared Hope
After one of our recent school distributions in Tanzania, our Sleeping Children Around the World team had the opportunity to visit two of the students in their homes. These visits are always a powerful reminder that behind every bedkit we deliver is a child, a family and a story.
The first visit was to see a nine-year-old boy who lives with his grandparents. His parents live about 12 hours away, in a small village, with his older and younger brothers.
His home was incredibly small. The main family room was about the size of a large closet, with two small couches, a little refrigerator and a table. A fan sat nearby, but the electricity was off when we visited, so it wasn't running. There was also a tiny bedroom where the boy and his grandparents all slept together, sharing a single mattress and one mosquito net.
The family was overjoyed that their grandson would now have his own mattress and his own mosquito net - giving him a more comfortable place to sleep and helping protect him from malaria.
His grandfather does not work, while his grandmother earns a small income by collecting plastic and glass bottles. She is paid just a few Tanzanian shillings for each kilogram she collects. They have very little, but what they do have is filled with love. Four well-worn stuffed animals sat proudly on one of the couches - a small but touching glimpse into the care and affection surrounding this little boy.
When we asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he proudly told us he wanted to be a doctor. His grandmother beamed with pride.
Then she noticed the Canadian flag on our SCAW shirts. She pointed to it, clapped her hands and repeatedly expressed her gratitude to the Canadian donors and to Sleeping Children Around the World. She understood that people thousands of kilometres away had chosen to help her grandson - and 6,999 other children - sleep better.
Our second home visit was a more sombre visit.
We met a young family with two daughters. The mother has been sick since the birth of her youngest daughter nine years ago. The family has travelled long distances to numerous public hospitals searching for answers, but after years without a diagnosis or meaningful help, they have given up.
The family rents a single small room each month, where the four of them live and sleep. They cook their meals in a shared hallway alongside the other tenants in the rental complex. The father previously worked as a printer for a newspaper, but he lost his job. Now he occasionally finds manual labour, but the work is unreliable and he is understandably discouraged.
There is no social safety net to turn to when someone is sick or unemployed. This family is largely on its own.
The father's gratitude was unmistakable. For a family facing so many challenges, something as simple as a mattress, bedding and a mosquito net represents comfort, dignity and the knowledge that someone cares.
When we visit the schools, we see the children's happiness. They smile, laugh and eagerly receive their bedkits. But we also notice the things that aren't always visible in a photograph: worn-out shoes, children walking barefoot, and clothing that is dirty, torn or well past its best days.
Many of the schools we visit provide lunches for a very small fee, helping ensure that children receive at least one good meal during the day. For families struggling to make ends meet, these small supports can make an enormous difference.
Like parents and grandparents everywhere, these families share the same hopes and dreams for their children. They want their children to be healthy. They want them to go to school. They want them to have opportunities they never had themselves.
Maybe a better night's sleep won't solve every challenge these children face but it can give them comfort. It can help protect them from malaria. It can give them a little more energy for school and another day of learning.
And, perhaps most importantly, it tells a child and their family: you matter, and people around the world care about your future.
That is what Sleeping Children Around the World is all about — one child, one bedkit and one family at a time.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: Tanzania, 2026: August 11
We travelled north of Dar es Salaam to distribute 700 bedkits at one of the older schools in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood. This school was established in 1961, the year of Tanzania’s independence. The school slowly grew to over capacity, so three other schools have been built in the area and a fourth is needed. This school now has 1895 students, from kindergarten to grade 7.
The School
Knapsacks waiting
Kindergarten
This information was given to me by one of the school’s teachers, Miss Diana. Miss Diana teaches grade seven and has a total of 206 children, 103 in each of two classrooms! We had a lovely conversation under a tree in the schoolyard. The team was interested to find out more about the life of a schoolchild and this conversation increased our interest.
Chalkboard lessons
Classroom
She does say that the children are usually well behaved even with so many together. Everything is provided for the children but they do ask for donations on a pay what you can basis from the parents for their food at lunch.
Cooking lunch
Teacher and his students
School friends
We also talked about the teacher’s fatigue at the end of a busy day and how a good nights sleep is important for her as well as for the children.
Empty schoolyard
The bedkits are so welcome and well-received, with thanks to our donors.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
scaw blog: Tanzania, 2026: August 9
A Weekend in the Wild
After an incredible week of meeting 3,500 little ones face-to-face and handing over a bedkit to each on behalf of our donors, our team traded mattresses and delivery trucks for safari vehicles and the wilderness of Tanzania!
With the weekend off, we set out to experience the natural beauty of this remarkable country - and what an adventure it was! We travelled through the game park keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife around every bend. There’s something magical about being out in the bush - the anticipation of what might appear and those unforgettable moments when you suddenly find yourself face-to-face with Africa’s incredible animals.
Our mini safari gave the team a chance to step away, recharge, laugh together, and soak up a little of the adventure that surrounds us here.
Here are some of our favourite moments from the weekend:
But the adventure doesn’t stop here.
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we’re back on the road - back to the school communities and back to our mission of giving 7,000 children a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
The bush has recharged our batteries. Now it’s time to get back to work!
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: AUGUST 6
Today, our team had the opportunity to speak with two teachers and two parents about children’s sleep. Their insights offered a meaningful glimpse into daily life and sleep practices in this community.
They described a typical sleep environment in which multiple children often share a mat on the floor in one - or two-room homes. These homes are generally open to the outside through windows and roofing, exposing the family to environmental noise and mosquitoes. We learned that families tend to follow similar sleep schedules—children and parents alike reportedly sleep about eight hours per night. Many children wake as early as 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. to prepare for school.
What stood out most was the shared belief that children require the same amount of sleep as adults. When we explained that school-aged children (6–13 years) typically need 9–11 hours of sleep within a 24-hour period, there was genuine surprise. This gap highlights an important opportunity for education. Sleep is not simply for rest - it is a critical foundation for physical health (e.g., immunity), emotional regulation, and cognitive functioning, particularly during development.
Teachers reinforced this perspective by sharing their classroom experiences. They often observe students becoming very sleepy in the afternoon, to the point where naps are sometimes encouraged during the school day. This practical response reflects both the reality of students’ fatigue and the need for broader awareness of healthy sleep habits.
Encouragingly, the teachers we spoke with agreed that incorporating education about sleep and its role in health into the science curriculum would be valuable. Increasing awareness - among both educators and families - could have meaningful impacts on students’ well-being and learning potential.
La la salama - sleep well.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: August 5
Behind Every Mattress is a Partnership That Makes Dreams Possible
Before a single child receives a bedkit, an incredible amount of teamwork happens behind the scenes.
This week, our team visited the Unoplast factory in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where more than 7,000 colourful mattresses were prepared for the 10 days of bedkit distributions taking place. Watching the mattresses move through production was a reminder that every bedkit represents the efforts of many dedicated partners working together.
High density foam ready to be cut into mattresses
For more than 20 years, Mama Wandoa has partnered with Unoplast to ensure every child receives a high-quality mattress. The company has been in business since 1965 and has become much more than a supplier - they are an invaluable partner in Sleeping Children Around the World's mission.
Their generosity goes well beyond manufacturing the mattresses. Unoplast continues to produce the mattresses at cost, without making a profit. They also store all 7,000 mattresses and, for each distribution, deliver the required 7,000 mattresses directly to the school using their own company truck and driver.
We saw how they were produced and how the colourful fabric with its vibrant patterns is sewn on each mattress. After receiving their knapsack - filled with school supplies, clothing, mosquito netting and other essential items - the colourful mattress is the final piece that the children receive. It is always a special moment to see the children's faces light up with excitement. Not only will they enjoy a better night's sleep, but they'll also have something beautiful and colourful to call their own.
A mountain of mattresses. The girls love the bright flamingos.
There's even a Canadian connection. Some of the materials used to manufacture these mattresses originate from a Canadian company, reflecting the international cooperation that makes this program possible. Just like Sleeping Children Around the World, these distributions succeed because of strong partnerships. Alongside Mama Wandoa, her children and grandchildren and the Upendo AIDS Information and Counselling Centre, Unoplast plays a vital role in helping us reach thousands of children across Tanzania.
To everyone at Unoplast, thank you for your generosity, commitment, and more than two decades of partnership. Together, we are helping thousands of children sleep better, dream bigger, and build brighter futures.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA. 2026: August 4
Distribution Day 2 - Highlights in Photos
The mamas have entrusted their little ones to us and are keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
Mattresses unloaded and bundled and ready to be taken home.
Children heading to change room to receive new kangas (multi-purpose piece of cotton) and then to photo site.
Ready for photos
Michael and Alice getting in shape for handing out the bedkits.
Choose your favourite colour mattress.
Tonight, I will sleep, dream and wake up rested in my new bedkit.
Thank you to our hard-working volunteers, especially Mama Wandoa and her family who created this cottage industry, that so many children and their families benefit from: A special thank you to our donors who make the bedkits possible.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: AUGUST 3
Today we began our first distribution. We travelled from the hotel to our first site and were greeted by the joyful shouts and smiles of the children. We were also met with a lovely crowd of 20 volunteers from our overseas partner organization UPENDO. They were led and supervised by Mama Wandoa and several members of her family who came to help. Before starting the distribution we were able to meet with the waiting parents and, thanks to Wendy’s help with translation, were able to share with the parents the benefits of sleep.
They were excited to hear about the items in the bedkit and rejoiced over each item we shared. With all the advance preparations arranged by Mama Wandoa and her team, things ran smoothly and we were able to present 700 children with bedkits. There were many smiles, thank yous and shouts of joy from both children and their waiting parents when they received their bedkits.
We are excited to see the joys and challenges that will come as we continue with 9 more days of distribution.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: August 3
It’s Sunday in Dar es Salaam and we are off to Mama Wandoa’s farm, south of the city. There she built a church for the community. We arrived to the sound of joyful singing by a visiting choir. It was an uplifting start to the day.
We had a walk around to see the chickens and vegetation, including mango trees, then Mama gave us a taste of mango juice. Delicious!
Later in the day we checked out the bedkits and got ourselves organized for our first day of distributions. We are excited to meet the children and wish them “la la salama” (sleep well).
These three photos were from the previous day.
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: August 2
Arrival in Tanzania
Today the team arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania tired after a 24 hour trek from Toronto via a (quick!) stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We were happy to be greeted by Wendy and Benjamin, volunteers who are also the children of our local partner, Mama Wandoa of UPENDO. Mama has been the oversees partner of SCAW in Tanzania for over twenty years.
After a brief check-in at the hotel to clean up and unpack, we met Mama in her home which serves as the hub for the manufacturing and storage of the 7000 bedkits that will be distributed by our team over the next two weeks.
Pictured are bedkits for boys (blue) and girls (black) and the sewing room where they’re created, an open-air upper-floor room with about 10 sewing machines, each one different as they have been donated and collected over the years.
This year’s bedkit contain a mattress, sheet, backpack, clothing, school supplies, shoes, and mosquito net. They also include an item called a kanga which is a very common item in Tanzania. A kanga is a colourful rectangular piece of fabric worn by men and women and used for many purposes such as a head/body wrap, baby sling, or a sheet. The kanga often includes some writing on it that is an uplifting Swahili proverb.
The team is excited for the days ahead!
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦
SCAW BLOG: TANZANIA, 2026: July 30
Preparing to change 7,000 lives . . .
Soon, Team Tanzania 2026 will embark on a mission with our partner, the Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre, to provide bedkits for 7,000 children in Tanzania.
These photos below show volunteers in Tanzania packing and counting the bedkits for each distribution site.
Every bedkit will help a child sleep better, dream bigger, and wake up with renewed hope for tomorrow.
Come along with us in the coming weeks as we share our daily adventures - the challenges, the unforgettable smiles of the children, and the experiences that touch our hearts each day.
The adventure is just beginning, and we can't wait to share every step with you.
Stay tuned . . .
Team Tanzania, 2026
Upendo AIDS Information and Counseling Centre 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦