SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2023: August 14

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2023: August 13

August 14, 2023

The SCAW team arrived safely in Honduras on Saturday, August 12th. We were given the gift of two additional hours in our day as Honduras is in a different time zone than Toronto.

Today, the SCAW team met with the Rotary Club and Rotaract (Junior Rotarians) Club members of Tegucigalpa for a pre-distribution meeting. There was a large turnout of members from both clubs (see photo below). Superior preparations have been completed by the Clubs for a successful distribution. A substantial and detailed review of finances, partnerships, and planning was provided. We recognized the tremendous amount of work and effort of the Rotary Clubs here in Tegucigalpa.

Following the meeting the SCAW team attended a Sunday Church Service and then explored a near-by shopping mall.

In a local grocery store we shopped for water and small snacks in preparation for the first of eight distributions, beginning tomorrow. We are excited to get started. We are looking forward to putting a smile on 543 children’s faces and creating an opportunity for them to have a good night's sleep.

Team Honduras 2023

Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2023: August 1

August 2, 2023

IT IS A WRAP!

After ending our final distribution day we celebrated with a group photo of our team but then Mama Wandoa insisted that we include Dave Dryden as well.

Then we were off for our ‘50 +3’ birthday celebration with all the Upendo volunteers at Mama’s house for soft drinks and cake.

Peggy presented Mama with the 50th anniversary book with a message from Debbie and Sandra.

A very successful post-distribution meeting followed, including some new ideas for next year.

This is one of the memories we will hold in our hearts ❤️ as we leave beautiful Tanzania.

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2023
Upendo🇹🇿+SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2023: July 31

August 1, 2023

THE WEATHER TODAY - WE HAD IT ALL.

A very rough road took us to our distribution today. The skies opened up on our arrival, just after our first set-up. We quickly moved the parents’ meeting inside a classroom and it worked out quite well.

After our second set up we were ready to go but fortunately we found a covered verandah area for the photos as the rain continued on and off.

Our sheltered area was only available until 12:30 when all the children would be fed so we did not waste any time. The Upendo/SCAW efficient teamwork prevailed and we finished at 12:29!

Wendy and Benjamin had arranged a home visit for us at Rashid’s house. He was thrilled to receive a bedkit today. His grandmother and mother gave permission for us to take photos to show everyone where they lived.
Rashid’s new bedkit will allow him to sleep alone on his own mattress.

It is humbling to visit these communities and drive on their roads.

Another successful and uplifting day and 750 children are sleeping peacefully tonight.

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2023
Upendo🇹🇿+SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2023: July 30

July 31, 2023

BACK TO WORK

Two schools had their photographs taken today so a very, very busy day.
Here are some glimpses of how the distribution went. . . .

Mama Wandoa was asked to sign one of the school’s guest book.

Kathy and Jerome are working hard in the intense heat.

Our wonderful Upendo volunteers are always there for us.

We are loving all the kangas on the children. Wendy and her team do a great job of tying 750 kangas.

Happy children are heading home. Our hearts are overflowing.

Lala Salama.
Team Tanzania 2023
Upendo🇹🇿+SCAW🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2023: July 29

July 31, 2023

OUR DAY OFF🌺

Saturday was our day to explore the city of Dar with Tetula Okama, a local guide. We visited the National Museum, saw a wood carvers’ cooperative in action, toured a beautiful cathedral and the Village Museum depicting the historical homes from the 16th to the 20th century. We ended our day by dipping our toes in the Indian Ocean and walking on the beach. It was lovely seeing all the children playing in the water.

As always we had with us our wonderful, kind driver, Abbas. Not only is he a conscientious and safe driver but he also has assisted us every day by helping to organize the children for the photos. You can imagine the excitement with large groups of ten children and how much patience, kindness and gentleness is required. He is a good team member.

Asante sana, Abbas👍.

Monday we are back to work.

Lala Salama.
Team Tanzania 2023
Upendo🇹🇿+SCAW🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2023: July 28

July 28, 2023

IN TANZANIA 🇹🇿 EVERYONE CAN BE FAMILY

Mama has been involved with Sleeping Children for 23 years. Over these many years she has involved more and more members of her family as it kept growing. There are now five generations involved in this bedkit distribution.

Her son, Benjamin, and daughter, Wendy, are the co-leaders with Mama.

For this distribution, cousins Prisca and Jerome were very involved.

Prisca excelled at the important role of checking the labels and coordinating with Peggy.

Here we see Jerome handing out backpacks from the truck. It was raining off and on and this kept them dry for the children.

Mama Wandoa has so much love in her heart that all the Upendo volunteers are family as well. The whole team gathered together around Mama as she presented the volunteers with a special Canadian 🇨🇦 button. Peggy thanked them as well.

Principal Moir is part of Mama’s family now as she has worked with him before. At this distribution he contributed to the fuel costs for the truck and provided a lunch for volunteers from his own salary. Mama originally thought that his school was too far to come but he wanted his children to receive bedkits. All the parents of the 750 children were there as well.

Another inspiring day.

Lala Salama,

Team Tanzania 2023

Upendo🇹🇿/SCAW🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2023: July 27

July 28, 2023

NO CHILD IS EVER LEFT BEHIND

Did you know the word ‘Upendo’ means ‘love’ in Swahili?

At the Remote Distribution in 2022, young Amina was so excited to get her mattress she ran right to the mattress, bypassing the backpacks. Amina’s mother went over to Mama Wandoa to explain what happened and asked if her daughter could have one. In order to maintain the integrity of the process, Mama had to ask Amina’s mother to wait. Sadly, with a newborn, she could not stay.

Mama took her contact information and promised to get the backpack to Amina.

This year Mama Wandoa wanted to honour her promise. She contacted Amina’s mother making arrangements for them to come to a distribution so Amina would receive her backpack and a special 50+3 Sleeping Children button. With permission from her mother we were able to take photos of this touching occasion.

THESE are the moments we will remember.❤️

Lala Salama,

Team Tanzania 2023

Upendo🇹🇿/SCAW🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania - Distributions 1 and 2 - July 25-26 - Blogs #2 and #3

July 26, 2023

Blog #2:

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY

We know 750 children are sleeping peacefully tonight.🥰

Team Tanzania 2023
Upendo/SCAW🇹🇿🇨🇦

Blog #3:

Our Distribution….Every Step of the Day

The day begins with the arrival of the big ‘yellow trucks’ from Super Banco and soon the students, the Upendo volunteers and Banco drivers are busy unloading the 750 mattresses.

The team now folds and ties each mattress and stacks them neatly.
Once the backpacks are unloaded from Mama’s truck, they are sorted for big and little boys and girls.

It is time for Peggy to set up the camera for the photographs.

Meanwhile Wendy and her team are registering the students and putting on the kangas. Carol is showing how it is done as kangas serve many uses. This is how a kanga looks on the children.

Next, Benjamin calls the parents together and we talk about having a healthy, restful sleep and how all the items in the bedkit benefit and help the children get a good night’s sleep. The team shows the items to the parents to great applause.

We are ready to receive the children and take the photos. Jerome leads the way.

Before the picture is taken thumbs and kangas are marked.

Once the photo is taken backpacks and mattresses are handed out. The children proudly head back to their parents with their backpacks on and the mattress on their heads.

There are some unique ways of transporting the bedkits home.

Another successful day comes to an end.🌺👍

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2023
Upendo🇹🇿/SCAW🇨🇦

5 Comments

SCAW Blog: Tanzania - Pre-Distribution Preparations - Blog #1

July 23, 2023

WHERE IT ALL BEGINS

We had an early start to our day visiting the place where a good night’s sleep for the children begins.

We visited the Super Banco mattress factory, a good partner for Mama Wandoa for 22 years. Did you know that the word “banco” comes from earlier spring mattresses that Wendy remembers jumping on? As we arrived the trucks are being loaded for our first distribution on Monday. How impressive are the colourful fabrics on the mattresses?

Some of the 6000 mattresses that they make, store for us and deliver to each distribution site. Impressive … inside the factory.

Our first meeting with Team Upendo/Sleeping Children at Mama Wandoa’s house with Mama, Benjamin and Wendy.

Mama Wandoa with ‘just a few’ backpacks stored in her house.

All of the backpacks, clothing and the kangas are made by Mama’s tailors upstairs in her house.

Benjamin showed us the cottage industry.

We are ready to go . . .

Lala Salama.

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SCAW Blog: Uganda - Distribution 9 - June 2023 - Blog #10

June 3, 2023

Today we enjoyed a scenic drive into Kapchorwa District for our final SCAW Uganda distribution. This area is known for its natural beauty, quality coffee, and is the training ground for Uganda’s national marathon runners who enjoy the flat and hilly landscapes.

Our distribution site was perched on a hilltop and surrounded by lush greenery and hills and valleys as far as the eye could see. We arrived at the site at the same time as the Crestfoam truck so we were able to see the entire team, including the community volunteers, set up the distribution site from the ground up. Mattresses were loaded off the truck and rolled, basins were separated and filled with bedkit items, and the photo area assessed. At the same time the children were registered and dressed and in no time we were all ready to begin!

It was a wonderful feeling to see the entire team come together for one last distribution. As the last child received his bedkit, our 7000th child over the past two weeks, we all hugged, high-fives and thanked each other for our dedication and hard work. It was a great team effort.

On the way back to Kampala we enjoyed a stop at Sipi Falls.

Well done everyone!!

SCAW Blog: Uganda - Distribution 8 - June 2023, Blog #9

June 3, 2023

Our distribution today in Ililim was lively and joyous! The children light up when that basin full of goodies is placed upon their heads. They take great pride in carrying it themselves to their excited parents.

After the distribution we stopped to see the Nyero Rock Paintings, a nearby historical site. A short but challenging hike allowed us to view three sites with etchings in the rock, some of which are believed to be over 5000 years old.

Tomorrow is our last distribution. I will be sad to see this wonderful adventure come to an end.

SCAW Blog: Uganda - Distribution 7 - May 2023, Blog # 8

May 20, 2023

It is thought that seeing a rainbow is a sign of a happy ending. This was so very true today as on our way home after two successful distributions, our team saw a big, beautiful rainbow!

It was indeed a happy ending to a very good day. On our first distribution we were greeted by a joyous group of mother’s dancing and singing and beckoning our team to come and join them. It is an overwhelming feeling being greeted with such warmth and appreciation, especially before a bedkit is even distributed.

As the end of our time in Uganda draws near, our team is lingering a little longer before we set up so we can soak in these moments. The distribution went quickly and efficiently and before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head to our next site.

As we arrived at our second distribution, our team was greeted by a group of school girls that were asked by their teacher to dance for us. They were so friendly, and welcoming and enjoyed practicing their English. We thanked them each with a Canadian pin which they all quickly pinned onto their uniforms. It was another great distribution!

We hope the 1100 children who received a bed kit today have a wonderful night’s sleep tonight.

- Team Uganda 🇺🇬

SCAW Blog: Uganda - Distribution 6 - May 2023 - Blog #7

May 18, 2023

Today’s distribution was in the Kaukura area. There were lots of children milling about, all very anxious to entertain us with their dancing.

We visited the home of a family a short walk through corn fields from the school. The property was a mini -compound of clay huts with thatched roofs. The four children sleep together in one hut which is perhaps 8 feet in diameter and the parents are nearby in a slightly larger hut. A third hut serves as the kitchen and a tiny forth is for the pigeons. The children's hut is also home to a turkey which is minding her nest of eggs in the corner.

550 very happy children received bed kits today!

SCAW Blog: Uganda - Distribution 5 - May 2023 - Blog #6

May 15, 2023

Today we continued our journey north-east of Kampala. As we left the city life behind us, we enjoyed seeing less traffic, lush gardens and the beautiful smiles and waves along the way.

We distributed another 550 bedkits to very deserving children. As the children left the distribution site balancing their mattress on their heads and holding their other bedkit items in their arms, the parents cheered! We especially loved hearing the beautiful sounds of the mothers ululating, showing us their happiness and gratitude.

SCAW Blog: Uganda - Distribution 4 - May 2023 - Blog #5

May 14, 2023

Our visit today was to Nalugalu Public School which had no glass in the windows, no water and no electricity but it did have 550 adorable children ready to receive bedkits. We enjoyed lunch after with all the volunteers in one of the classrooms.

We were fortunate to visit the happy and loving home of a single mother and her 4 youngest children. They all live in a 10' x 10' tin shack with one small bed. We brought them a gift of flour, salt, beans and soap.

SCAW Blog: Kenya - Distributions 1 and 2 - May 2023 - Blog #1

May 13, 2023

When we arrived in Nairobi our gracious hosts met us at the airport.

Our first distribution was at a school in Talek. This school is a 6-hour drive from Nairobi. We had a beautiful drive through savannahs and passed by the Great Rift Valley that stretches 9,300 miles from Syria to Mozambique. There are many trucks on the road as it is the main highway to transport goods across land- locked countries in Africa.

Our first overnight stay was in a tent camp overlooking the savannah.

The school where our first distribution was held is on the edge of the Masai Mara game reserve. Children in their new outfits greeted us. The outfits this year are red, green, blue and yellow t-shirts and shorts. The smiles on the children's faces were precious as they greeted us. Even the youngest of the children were able to balance the bedkit on their heads.

During our forays out in the game reserve we were fortunate to see lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hyenas and water buffalo.

We travelled back to Nairobi and the next day headed to Isolo. The drive is straight north through beautiful lush forests and rows of greenhouses where roses are grown for export.

We distributed another 1000 bedkits to the children who greeted us with song on our arrival.

The distribution and organization by the Rotary is commendable. The bedkits are all securely stored and they were ready to distribute on our arrival. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, another 1000 children will get a good night's sleep.

SCAW Blog: Kenya - Distribution 3 - May 2023 - Blog #2

May 12, 2023

Back in Nairobi

After our two rural distributions with many miles travelled, the SCAW team is grateful to be back in our “home” guesthouse in Nairobi. Our first distribution in the city was at Riruta Satellite Primary School.

It was a short ride on this clear, warm day through the city to a quieter, poorer area of the Nairobi.

The gated school had a muddy area where bedkits had been securely stored and from which their noon meal was served.

All the children greeted us warmly with an opening programme in the open, cement quad.

Much fun was had by engaging a teacher to teach the eager crowd a raucous chant of “Go Leafs Go! Go Leafs Go!!!”

1000 bedkits were distributed in 3 hours with the help of teachers and Rotarians. Rotarian Winston was the point person for this school’s successful distribution.

SCAW Blog: Uganda - Distribution 3 - May 2023 - Blog #4

May 12, 2023

Today we travelled over three hours outside of Kampala and found ourselves in the beautiful countryside village of Bulawula. We received a very warm welcome from the children and their parents as we exited the bus. We then explored the property and all agreed that the cow field next to the school would be the perfect back drop for the photo area! We quickly set up and the distribution got underway. Thanks to our wonderful Inner Wheel teammates, we were able to give 550 children the gift of sleep today!