SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 14

SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 13

February 13, 2024

Today’s distribution was quite close to where we are staying. It was only a short drive onto a narrow street to the distribution site, a girl's school. We got set up for photos and then the adventure started.

The delivery truck had a dead battery which was eventually resolved by a couple of young people with a battery and jumper cables. The truck was now on the way to us. When it went to turn onto the street there was a stack of bricks in the road. Even though the bricks were moved the corner was too tight, so the truck had to go in the other direction. Another stack of bricks had to be moved. Then there were low wires - electrical, phone and cable - all to be lifted with bamboo poles to enable the truck to pass. They were working their way toward us when they took down an electrical line to a house. The rather upset homeowner had them fix the wire before the truck moved on. We felt great joy when they arrived at the distribution site after a two-hour adventure.

A great distribution followed the unloading of the bed kits and we soon saw the happy smiles of the children.

After arriving back from a successful distribution, our Rotary partners suggested we might like to visit a mosque. We loved the idea and quickly changed into long pants and head coverings and we were on our way. Half an hour later we arrived to Kusumba Mosque, a serene setting along the river. It has been called “the black gem” because of the black stone. It was built from 1558-59. It is recognized as a heritage site and is one of the oldest mosques.

The stone steps were used to access the court of justice which is still used today and the intricately hand carved patterns make it a very unique place to worship.

It was a perfect way to end a busy day.

Team Bangladesh, 2024

Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 11

February 12, 2024

A Day in the Life of a Bangladesh Distribution

Bedkits are unloaded and we are ready to start!

Denis and Joy arranging the children for their photo.

Jackie keeping track of the children while Judy marks their thumbs.

The children receive a snack bag from a volunteer.

Diane and Kim give each child the gift of a good night’s sleep.

The papparazzi
Team Bangladesh, 2024
Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 10

February 11, 2024

Today during our travels to our distribution we spotted many boats of similar design on posts and upon questioning we learned the following. In Bangladesh, a country with more than 700 rivers, it’s hardly surprising that the symbol of the dominant political party, the Awami League, is a boat - in this case, a traditional river craft with a high prow - the nouka. As in other developing countries, political symbols are important, especially in rural areas where literacy levels are lower than in the cities. Although urban areas are growing, two thirds of the population still live in rural areas. Voters may not be able to read a newspaper or a political poster, but they will recognize the party symbol.

To us, the boat also symbolized smooth sailing as this distribution was our best one yet. We worked like a well-oiled machine. The dedicated hard-working volunteers were an integral part of the day and of course the rewards were the smiles of the beautiful children.

Team Bangladesh, 2024

Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 9

February 9, 2024

We have had long hours on the road and a power/wifi outage so below are some snapshots of the last couple of days.

The weather is perfect! The temperature is around the low to mid 20s and there is no humidity.

The team split into two teams of four to cover two distribution sites. Yes . . . you guessed it . . . that led to some rivalry as to which was the better team! We each travelled about two hours and distributed in the neighbourhood of 330 bedkits. Believe it or not, we landed back at our guest-house within 10 minutes of each other so we decided it was a draw.

Mothers keeping a close eye on their little ones

We were on the road by mid-afternoon, heading to the second segment of the distribution. A three hour journey took almost five hours because our van was wedged under a bridge with transport trucks for a good hour while oncoming traffic had the right of way due to construction. The upside is we were able to sing along to the Bengali version of Jamaica Farewell.

We are looking forward to an early start in the morning and meeting 650 more sweet children. They are eager to engage with us and practice their English.

Team Bangladesh 2024

Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 7

February 7, 2024

Our journey today took us through many small bustling villages surrounded by farmland. The people work so hard planting and harvesting rice in field after field of rice paddies. What back-breaking work this must be. Bananas, dates, coconuts, oranges, melons and salad greens are among the types of produce seen growing in the fields and on the trees. Small bicycle rickshaws and wagons carry huge loads of bamboo and grain and firewood. Bricks are hand made and drying in the sun.

We arrived to a warm welcome, greeted by many Rotarians and a keen group of boy and girl scouts, many of whom volunteered to work alongside us for the day. The children and parents were sheltered under a huge colourful canopy while they waited for the photos to be taken.

When 650 children had been given the gift of a good night’s sleep, the school principal and local Rotarians served us a delicious lunch of rice, chicken, mutton and sautéed vegetables. Now we are ready for a good night’s sleep as well!

Team Bangladesh 2024

Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦

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SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 6

February 6, 2024

Today we had a bright and early start with breakfast and a team meeting prior to our pre-distribution meeting at noon with our Rotary partners.

What a joy to see how carefully $40 has been invested and spent on the bedkit items. Rotary was proud to explain their laddered investment approach and how the interest earned enabled them to acquire more items for the bedkits.

Finally we are packed and ready to hit the road for our first distribution destination. En route we were treated to lovely flute music by Amida.

Following a five hour drive our teams settled into our rooms, grabbed a quick bite and started on the prep for tomorrow.

The team evaluating bedkits and practicing set-up for tomorrow.

We can hardly wait to meet the first 650 children and have been practicing our limited Bengali and hand puppet antics. The one word we all know is,"Hasho!" (Smile)

Team Bangladesh 2024

Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦

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SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 5

February 5, 2024

We logged over 20 hours of flying but we arrived safely to a warm welcome by the Rotary Club of Dhaka.

We're overdue for a good night's sleep and since it's now about 3 a.m. that’s exactly what we're about to do.

We are exhausted but exhilarated and raring to get started on those 8,000 bedkits.

Stay tuned . . .

Linda Webb

Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦

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SCAW Blog: Bangladesh, 2024: February 2, 2024

February 2, 2024

Exciting update from Bangladesh!

The Rotary Club of Dhaka is gearing up for our upcoming bedkit project, and we're thrilled to share a sneak peek of the essentials each child will receive. Months of dedicated preparation have gone into this, and for a $40 donation, you're making a big impact! With our model of working with local partners, your contribution not only guarantees suitable items but also goes a long way in supporting the local economy.

We're grateful for our partnership and the opportunity to make a positive difference together.

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 15

November 16, 2023

Bedkit #7,000 with Rotary Club of Kelaniya, SCAW Team, and local volunteers.

We have reached the most bittersweet moment of all SCAW bedkit distributions . . . a moment when we celebrate a project well done . . . yet feel sad that it is over.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 15

November 15, 2023

. . . And then the day came when bedkit number 7000 was handed out and there were no more kits to give out in the 2023 distribution.

Today was a long day for us. We handed out 1100 bedkits in two different schools. Both schools greeted us upon arrival with wonderful marching bands followed by speeches, as we have been accustomed to. Later, after having given out the bedkits, we were given tea and tasty Sri Lankan treats.

It has rained every day we have been in Sri Lanka; sometimes the rain has come down in buckets. However the weather gods have also been kind to us and our distributions have really not been bothered by the rainy season.

Today was also a special day for us as we handed out the 50 bedkits Chris and Gail had donated on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary.

That finishes the Sri Lanka distribution 2023. We are going to miss all the smiling faces we have been met with every day ❤️.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 14

November 14, 2023

Although this is one of our last days, we are still starting each morning in high spirits. However, our one hour trip to the site became two hours as we searched locally for the school where 600 bedkits and children waited. Navigating the myriad of small streets was even a challenge for the driver.

We received a warm welcome with flowers and marching band, a regular occurrence.

Then as we gathered we each lit a welcome lamp which is customary for such gatherings.

Here we were also treated to a wonderful dance in the traditional manner that was both beautiful and inspiring.

At this location Jill and Pamela did interviews with the parents helped by a translator. This interview as well as other questions covered contents of the bedkits, any school issues and distances travelled from home to the distribution.

We knew before arriving in Sri Lanka that the Ceylon of our younger selves was the most beautiful island on earth but we found the people of the country in every way match this expectation.

We did a home visit and could see first-hand how welcome the bedkit is. Thanks so much to the donors.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 13

November 14, 2023

Below is a collage of the various stages the children attend as they head towards their bedkit!

The registration table where the children’s names are checked against the recipient list.

Recipient list (one of many!)

The all-important photo-site, where today’s memory is captured for the generous SCAW donor.

Marking thumbs as the child heads towards their bedkit.

Handing the bedkit to one happy child!

And finally . . . heading home . . . !

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 10

November 14, 2023

For other distributions we’ve had adults and a smattering of teens to help out. However, over the last two days we had the absolute pleasure of having wonderful teen volunteers to assist.

This school is in a beautiful mountain area about an hour or so outside of Kandy.

The school is built on a hill creating interesting logistical challenges for small children. Children climb up 8 or 9 stairs and walk another 15 -20 feet before they are greeted by SCAW team members holding out the gift of new bedkits.

Luckily we had many hard-working teens who carry the kits and encourage the young ones to keep moving forward towards their new shoes.

Next, with their own teen helper, the children walk up a hill to meet with their delighted parents.

The teens then run down the hill to get in line to help the next child and they repeat the whole process.

While this is going on in front of us, behind us are the fantastic volunteer boys doing another great job.

Earlier we had a lively discussion with the boy volunteers on what the “girls” (indicating me) bedkit looks like and then an explanation of the “boys“ bedkit (pointing to the blue mosquito net and then to themselves).

The volunteers run up & down the stairs to get the kits & bring them to another table so we can pass them on to the children.

Meanwhile in a large room at the top of the stairs two gentlemen from the school are putting the bedkits together, placing them on a table at the top of the stairs for the boys to bring down.

During all this of passing the kits out, every now and then I’m yelling out “boys” “girls” to keep the kits coming and the flow flowing.

This is truly a priceless event to be a part of.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 12

November 13, 2023

Today we returned to the school in Ududumbara for the distribution of 400 more bedkits. The senior students from the school were eager to assist with the distribution and helped the younger students carry their bedkits to their parents. We really appreciated their help to make the distribution run smoothly.

The school provided us with wonderful snacks and lunches during and at the end of the day.

When we were done we began our long trek back to Colombo. On the way we stopped at a batik shop where we were shown the process of how making batik. Very interesting.

We continued our 3 hours drive through the towns and wonderful landscapes of Sri Lanka.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 10

November 13, 2023

Oh what a fabulous day!

Our distribution was held at a Tamil school high in the hills near Kandy. Children from the surrounding area came to that school to get their bedkits.

The school was very well kept and included grades 1 - 13. We were offered tea in the Home Sciences classroom where boys and girls are taught to sew and to cook.

They were very proud of their library that contained books in both Tamil and English and there were plenty of inspirational signs scattered around the school.

The small children needed help carrying their bedkits and we had lots of volunteers in the 8th and 9th grades to help us with that.

These older children were an absolute delight to work with and whenever we had a spare moment we had no end of fun entertaining each other. Most wonderful of all was having them sing their national anthem to us and at the close of the day, they all wanted hugs which we were only too happy to provide! There could not have been any better way to end the day!

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 11

November 13, 2023

Sunshine and rain . . . laughter and tears.

Each day is like no other; the joy of being there and the sorrow of leaving.

Sri Lanka is a very unique and beautiful country and today we arrived at Ududumbara where we were greeted by young people who put on an amazing traditional dance for us.

They train for many years to become so flexible and their costumes were exquisitely decorated with hand- sewn beadwork.

We were also delighted to discover that they had a girls’ soccer team as well as a boys’ cricket team.

The monsoon season has started early which is an extra challenge. We cannot spend as much time with the children as we would have liked . . . the clouds roll in rapidly and it feels like someone dumped a bucket of water over us. The rain started very quickly, about lunch time, but luckily we were able to finish the distribution in time; and it was a warm rain.

This photo is of terracing for growing various vegetables .This is done by stacking coconut shells to hold the soil in place, and to retain a certain amount of water.

I should mention, along with the overseas partners who do an incredible amount of background work, we had an amazing amount of help from the older students at the site. They were exceptional and so very eager to help in any way they could. Chris spent some time talking to many of them.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 9

November 9, 2023

Today is a travel day as we traverse the vast greenery of the Sri Lankan rainforest/jungle. The floral life is everywhere, only interrupted by rice fields.

Rice, a food staple, is cooked in a large variety of ways and blended with amazing spices. Add an array of fruits that are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner and you have dishes that all the team have enjoyed.

We fit in some cultural learning with visits to a spice garden and a tea factory. At the spice garden we were introduced to a wide variety of herbal remedies based on the plant ingredients. The tea factory tour covered all the steps of processing various types of tea in varying quality. This was a well established facility with equipment from the 1930’s.

Being a travel day we all missed the interaction with the children whose wide smiles warm the heart. However, tomorrow is a brand new day with bedkits waiting and ready to be distributed.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 8

November 8, 2023

This was another wonderful day spent with lovely children and great new friends here in Sri Lanka. We left our hotel in our bus at 8 am to go to our third distribution site which was about an hour away. Today 7000 bedkits were given out to children who live in an area where their families tend to be subsistence farmers.
Hundreds of children as well as many moms and dads greeted us, fiercely clapping when we arrived. We were also given a variety of beautiful flowers.

Today’s distribution was at a Buddhist Temple where a young monk and a school girl bid us welcome. After we got set up for the day we were able to start moving the children through. Later we watched their happy smiles as they walked away carrying their bedkits.

The children today came from visually poor circumstances. Many wore school uniforms that were missing parts and some were not wearing uniforms at all. Uniforms are no longer given free to children, but now have to be purchased.

Just as we were almost done, a rainstorm passed through delaying the finish. However, the rain made the heat less oppressive but still our faces remained glazed with sweat.

After handed out the last bedkit, we were served lunch before we drove away, having thus successfully ended our third distribution in Sri Lanka 2023.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2023: November 7

November 7, 2023

Our day starts out with a warm greeting from the parents, teachers and children in the community.

The organization and distribution of anywhere from 500 to 1,100 bedkits per day is a smooth operation, thanks to the collaboration of the Rotary Club of Kelaniya and the SCAW team.

There are several jobs that SCAW volunteers are responsible for. My assigned responsibility for the day was to place the gift of a bedkit in the hands of each beautiful child. These are quickly and efficiently lifted into the hands of a friendly volunteer from the Rotary Club to pass on to the child’s parent who is waiting patiently to help, as there are many useful items given to the child.

Having the opportunity to look into each child’s eyes is amazing. I’m unable to put into words how special the sight of each smiling face is. There are many pairs of beautiful eyes, looking sometimes with shy apprehension, but most often with wonder, excitement and joy. l imagine my expression mirrors theirs as I smile with pure joy at every child.

It takes donors, organizers, and hours of work from the volunteers to prepare for each day’s distribution but those smiles make it worthwhile.

Later in the day the rain pours non-stop until we are finished giving the children their bedkits.

Knowing about SCAW for over 20 years and wanting to volunteer for this wonderful charity for many of those years, I am finally living my dream and it is so much more than I could have ever imagined. I go to sleep tired but am looking forward eagerly to my next day.

Team Sri Lanka 2023

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦