SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 10

A Blog for Mother’s Day

Ugandan mothers are the loudest cheerleaders at our distribution sites. They clap and cheer with great joy when their child picks up their bedkit. 

These mothers have walked many miles to get to the site, some with babies on their backs, some carrying a disabled child in their arms. 

After a busy morning of distributions the team made an appropriate day-before-mother’s- day stop. We visited a local hospital complete with a Maternity and Labour room. 

While we were there a young mother with 2 sons delivered a baby girl. 

Perhaps one day she will be the recipient of a SCAW bedkit or better yet, she will be the woman who eliminates the need for them.

Team Uganda, 2025

Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 9 and 10

May 9. WE DID IT . . . 1000 BEDKITS TODAY!

Today we completed distributions in two different sites so our day started very early at 7:00. Children and parents were waiting for us and we loved the welcome with songs and dances.

The locations were perfect because the site managers travel the night before to make sure that everything is ready. As soon as the bus opens the doors we do a presentation for both the parents and the children explaining how our bedkits will help them get a healthy, good night’s sleep. This is followed by huge applause and cheers when we show all the items in the bedkit.

But the best is at the end when we watch very happy children head home with their gift of sleep.
Teamwork sure made this day a huge success. 1000 BEDKITS.❤️

Team Uganda, 2025
Uganda 🇺🇬+SCAW 🇨🇦

May 10 Warm-Up

Team SCAW (members from Canada and Uganda) drive together to each distribution site. The ladies of the Inner Wheel serenade us with inspirational songs along the way.

When we arrive at our location, as we leave our bus, we are greeted with music, chanting and wonderful dancing. School girls in costume perform an energetic cultural dance accompanied by community members playing drums and other instruments. Parents, volunteers and other guests cheer them on and join in the fun.

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We were told that this particular dance is called Kiganda in the Masaka region of Buganda. The children learn and practice this dancing as an extra-curricular activity after school. They then entertain at events such as ours and also compete against other schools in the area. It is so lively and upbeat, a perfect warm-up to our bedkit distribution!

Team Uganda, 2025

Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 7 and 8

May 7

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

The Inner Wheel and the Sleeping Children team are working together well and the results are that 500 children are going home with smiles on their faces.

Community members, faith leaders and helpers are also pitching in to make the distribution a success.
We could not help taking a celebratory photo at the end of a wonderful day.

Team Uganda, 2025
Uganda 🇺🇬+SCAW 🇨🇦

May 8

SMOOTH SAILING

Our motto with the Inner Wheel ladies continues to be: teamwork makes the dream work and the distribution this morning was smooth sailing with 500 very happy children.

We had a little free time this afternoon to walk downtown to experience Main Street.

Team Uganda, 2025

Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 5

Location is one of the more important elements in completing a successful distribution.  Some locations are much more difficult than others to find, especially in the eastern part of the country during the rainy season.  
But one of our distributions in Mbale with the Inner  Wheel of Kampala Central was in the community of Ceele and this location had all the important elements we were looking for.

The first thing it had was shade and lots of it.  Sometimes the kids travel a long way to receive their bedkits and a place for them to sit and wait in the shade is crucial. 

Flat ground at a site is great, especially when looking for a place for camera set-up. There are pictures taken of groups of kids so flat ground for chairs or stools is necessary for not only a good shot but for their safety.

Ideally schools are great location choices as there are classrooms with privacy for the kids to change into their uniforms.  But they also provide a familiar space for a very unfamiliar day. Security definitely is key and vital for everyone involved.  Volunteers that are easily identified and all those involved in the distribution are the only ones in the secure area. So a roped off area with a visible exit is the best. 

And all these things were exactly what we had in Ceele.

Great job Inner Wheel of Kampala Central.

Team Uganda, 2025

Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 6

Upon our arrival at the distribution sites, we are greeted by two large groups of loud and excited people, approximately 500 children who have changed into their new, colourful outfits, and their parents who wait on the perimeter of the site watching and celebrating the days' events.

We hear loud cheers, singing and clapping from both. Often there is music playing and people dancing and squealing. It is quite exhilarating!

Each day, prior to starting the distribution of bedkits, our team, with the help of an interpreter, explains to both groups about Sleeping Children Around the World, our donors in Canada, our local partners, the Inner Wheel, and our wish for the children to have a good night's sleep.

We have fun showing everyone the bedkit contents so they understand what is included in the gift for their children. Inevitably, this enhances the excitement even more. Then we are all anxious to get started!

Team Uganda, 2025

Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 4

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN

Today we said goodbye to the team from Kampala Central, who did a wonderful job this week, and said hello to Kampala Original.

At our distribution we were greeted with fanfare, enthusiasm and music with many excited parents and children. We had another successful start to this next phase of our distributions.

Here are some photos we cherish:

Team Uganda, 2025

Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 3

THE PEARL OF AFRICA

We did our distribution today near the Kenyan border with Mount Egan looming in the background.

When a team member was here 15 years ago she was surprised to see how green and lush everything was; it remains the same today. The Kampala Central team of the Inner Wheel took us to a beautiful waterfall on the side of the mountain, where we saw many things growing in the fields at the base of Mount Egan.

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It was nice to see the area after our distribution was completed. It was nice to know that 500 more kids are having a better sleep tonight in the remote villages.

Team Uganda, 2025

Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 3

SO MANY HELPING HANDS

In addition to our SCAW team and our wonderful Inner Wheel team, there are so many community people that are needed to make a successful distribution. Today we had many many helping hands including a wonderful school head-master to make everything run smoothly.

Team Uganda, 2025

Team Uganda 🇺🇬 +SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: May 1

A DAY OF FIRSTS

Today was not only the first day of our distribution but it was also the first ever distribution for the team from Kampala Central. All of them are new members and they did not know how our distributions work. Their planning was meticulous, the execution was perfect and it was obvious that they had been well coached by Gladys.

The entire day went off without a hitch and the SCAW team was thrilled that everything went so well.

Congratulations Kampala Central!

Team Uganda, 2025

Team Uganda 🇺🇬 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: April 30

WE LEARNED SO MUCH TODAY.

Our team got to visit 5 factories and we also completed our pre-distribution meeting with both Kampala Original and Kampala Central teams. It was all informative and useful; we appreciated being driven around by some of the Inner Wheel ladies to all of these sites. Their hospitality and organization is superb.

A highlight was Winifred’s Dress Design company. Winifred gave us the history of her small company as she makes some of the clothing for our children. As a widow, she likes to employ other single women and allows them to bring their babies to work if needed. We applaud not only the quality of the clothing but also her warm, generous and loving heart.

Tomorrow we drive three hours to start our Day One distribution.

Team Uganda, 2025

Team Uganda 🇺🇬 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: April 29

LOTS ACCOMPLISHED TODAY!

Our team was ready to go after a good night’s sleep so we met to continue our planning.

The Inner Wheel brought us a bedkit so we could do the assessment and see which items the 8500 children will be receiving.

Our excitement is building and tomorrow we do two factory visits along with our pre-distribution meeting.

We had a special moment this afternoon when we showed the bedkit to two of the people at our accommodation and explained how we are supporting the Ugandan children. They both got teary.

Our team is very happy to be here.

Team Uganda, 2025
Team Uganda 🇺🇬+Team SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Uganda, 2025: April 28

We’ve arrived safely! The Inner Wheel welcomed us at the airport and all is well.
We had our first meeting and lots was covered. We are working through various plans.

This is short as we are off to bed now since all of us are a wee bit tired.

Team Uganda, 2025

Team Uganda 🇺🇬 and Team SCAW 🇨🇦