SCAW Blog: Honduras 2024: August 28

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa contracted with their supplier to provide mattresses, pillows, bed sheets and pillowcases in various Disney & cartoon prints which the children really love.

We were treated to a performance by a musical instrumental band.

The teachers from the five schools included in today’s distribution were very helpful in ensuring that children were reunited with their parents or put on the correct bus for the return trip to their neighbourhood with their bedkits to take to their homes.

Team Honduras 2024

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 26

After many months of planning and countless hours of preparation, today we were able to meet and hand bedkits to the first 700 beautiful Honduran children who are beneficiaries of the generous donations of our donors. Our reward of a smile and a timid "gracias" is instant and lasting.

A lovely welcome to the location of our first distribution.

Our thoughtful Rotarian partners had tents set up to protect us and the children from the hot sun.

The children had also been preparing for this day. They treated us to a performance of a traditional dance and song, as well as a lovely speech of appreciation delivered by a nervous but determined young boy while his "abuela" proudly looked on. It was a moving moment.

Getting the children to smile for the camera.

Hmmm - she has a choice between a green backpack or a black one (she chose the black)

After a joyous day with the children, we were able to visit two of the warehouses where the bedkit items were stored and assembled into kits. It was impressive to see the vast piles of mattresses alone.

A mountain of mattresses, but by the end of next week, these will all be delivered!

We were informed that the assembly of the bedkits is done by local volunteers, including some parents and teachers of children who will be receiving a bedkit. Also of note is that one of the warehouse spaces is provided for free by a local church, and the other by the municipal government. It truly is a community effort.

Happy children leaving the schoolyard with their precious new belongings.

Much respect and thanks go to our Overseas Volunteer Partner in Honduras, the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa. Their hard work and dedication to the children makes all of this possible.

Wishing a good night's sleep to all children, everywhere."

Team Honduras, 2024-

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 27

Today I met with the Principal designate at the day 2 distribution site. This school site has a student population of 535. The Principal designate recognized how happy and grateful the children were to receive the bedkit gift.

The teachers understand the positive impact the bedkit will have on the students and their families. 

The Rotary Club of Welland provided toothbrushes, toothpaste and bandaids to the Principal for this school site. 

Traditional dance greeting

The Rotaractors are a tremendous help with the distribution. They are assisting at stations and with translation.

Full group photo

Looking forward to more smiling faces tomorrow. 

Team Honduras 2024

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 26

Hola from Honduras.

The SCAW team arrived on Saturday, August 24, 2024.  The Rotary Club from Tejucigalpa met us at the airport and managed to give us a tour of the site of our first distribution.

Our overseas partners have been very busy this past year getting ready for the distribution.  

When we leave in two weeks, 7,000 children will be getting a better night's sleep.

Team Honduras 2024

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: Aug. 3

And so the 2024 Sri Lanka bedkit distribution has come to an end.

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7,000 children who shared their smiles with us, took home the gift so generously given by Sleeping Children donors. The Canadian and Sri Lankan teams will have many, many, memories of these past two weeks . . . children walking home with their bedkits; parent conversations out of the sun in the shade of a tree; that final 7,000th bedkit; and the hand waving thanks as a bus takes the children home.

To all the Rotarians, their wives, and countless volunteers, our heartfelt gratitude for all you have done, not only in the past two weeks, but for the many months leading up to Sri Lanka 2024. Oyata stutiyi, Nanri.

Team Sri Lanka 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: Aug. 2

DAY TEN CELEBRATION
How wonderful to see the children‘s excitement as they go through their backpacks. The notebooks and the school uniforms were certainly a hit.

We are proud to have completed successfully 7500 Bedkits for a grand total of 128, 500 over 24 years.
The sky is the limit for Sleeping Children and our partners in Tanzania-Upendo 🇹🇿 under the leadership of Mama Wandoa.

Lala Salama
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 31

SCHOOL BELLS ARE RINGING🔔

Back in 2019 a team member became very interested in the unique materials that the schools used for ringing their bells. Irene made a point of trying out every bell at each site.

Two Sleeping Children volunteers/teachers read her article in our Trip Newsletter and wanted to donate their handbells, which were given to them as retirement gifts, to two Tanzanian schools. We were happy to have Mama Wandoa present one to an appreciative principal and students.

During this year’s distribution it was fun to find, see and hear the bells being used at our schools.

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 31

Meet Khalfani

Khalfani has been our driver since we arrived in Tanzania July 20th and will continue to August 3rd.

He was born in Tanzania, is married and a father of six. Khalfani has a warm disposition.  He stays calm through the most chaotic journeys to our distribution sites. This is his first time driving for Upendo and Sleeping Children.

 He was a bit shy at first but has really opened up over the days with the help of our team member who speaks Swahili.  He has become an integral part of our team at the distribution sites, helping wherever he’s needed, especially when the children are lining up to have their pictures taken.

Lala Salama

Team Tanzania 2024

Upendo 🇹🇿+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 29

Our visit to the mattress factory was once again an eye opener. The host , Dhilip, was the owner and was extremely gracious and welcoming. 

 He took us on a tour of his facility which included 380 employees working in a plastics area and a mattress making area. 

 He has a 23 year relationship with the Tanzanian Overseas Partners which we value. 

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 28

LOVE!!

By: Nathan Kisaka (Age 17 - son of Benjamin, grandson of Mama Wandoa)

Today I’m going to talk about love, because I want all of you who are reading this to experience true love.

I thought it best to give you some insight into what I feel whenever I carry out my job during the distribution. If you do not already know, then you might become curious, by donating, or even coming to a distribution site, and you will see what true love is like.

My job is the backpack station and I help the children by putting the backpack on them before sending them to receive their mattresses. I call them over to me with words, or sign language, and I never forget to smile at them, I mean really beam at them. Some children may look at you confused, but when you smile at them, the majority will reciprocate your love.  It is a confusing day for them, and the children aren’t always the best at regulating their emotions, as I’m sure you parents out there know all too well. 

A lot of you may not realize this but these kids often see you as angels. They are thankful, ever so grateful for you.

I pick up a backpack and I talk to them in a soothing, gentle tone since they are only children. When I send them away I take one last glimpse at their eyes as now the child will go home and finally sleep well at night.

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 28

On our day off we wanted to learn more about the history and culture of Tanzania by exploring two museums, going to local arts co-operatives, listening to stories from our guide Tetula, attending church services (Catholic and Lutheran) and having some team fun by eating home made crisps at Coco Beach!

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We are back to work on Monday. We will have a guest from Zambia joining us as his charity might be interested in partnering with Sleeping Children.

Looking forward to seeing the children’s smiles again tomorrow.

Lala Salama.
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 27

These pictures are a glimpse into the team's adventures during our Sri Lanka distribution.

A typical photo site

Entrance to a Hindu temple

Planting the future

Team members with invaluable translator at a parent meeting

Team effort setting up the bedkit for the photo shoot

We are all greeted with the lighting of the friendship lamp

Lunch is served!

Team Sri Lanka with the Rotary Club of Kelaniya, and many, many dedicated local volunteers. Thanks to you all!

Team Sri Lanka 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 27

I'm confident that there have been plenty of stories from the Sri Lankan 2024 team regarding smiling children, thankful parents and bountiful feasts provided by our hosts. Today, I'm sending pics of the cheeky monkeys that greeted me on my balcony this morning and later in the evening on my return.

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The team completed two distributions today, one in Anthonypuram and the other in Murukkan. Along the drive it is not unusual to encounter herds of cows crossing the road, slowing our journey. The northern part of Sri Lanka is rural with an abundance of agriculture.

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It is a difficult life but our gifts of bedkits make their lives a little brighter.

Team Sri Lanka, 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 27

In our first home visit we followed a teacher and his 11 year old student through many alleys and dirt roads to a 2 room house. There lived a mother and 7 other people. The mother was housing her 3 children - the 11 year old, a child in secondary school, an older daughter who had a job at a local Chinese factory, and the daughter’s little 2 year old!

Also living there were her 2 nephews whom she was supporting because her sister had passed away, and lastly, there was another nephew who has malaria!

She showed us where the new mattress would be placed and was extremely happy and very grateful for all the contents in the bedkit.

There was no kitchen in the area but a small hallway where we expected she did some cooking on a stove like in the picture below!

When we spoke to the teacher he did confirm that the children at the school received a meager lunch that was subsidized by the government. This might be the only meal the young student received for the day!

After our visit the teacher walked the young boy back to school as his school day was not yet finished. They go to school from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It was certainly an enlightening visit.

Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 25

Tears and rainbows.💖

Thoughts of the day:

During the bedkit distributions we all have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the children's parents. This helps us to understand their environment and home life. It can be a very emotional time and tears are often shed.

On one occasion we were interrupted by a lady requesting bed kits for her school (where the children were all orphans). Unfortunately this was not possible this year, we explained to her. But if she left us her contact details, we would pass them on. On hearing what the lady from the orphanage was saying, the mother that I was with, immediately offered to give up her child's gift in order that at least one orphan would have a bedkit. Despite having very little herself, she was willing to give up her gift.

This truly was a "rainbow moment" showing friendship and compassion (an example for all of us).

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." (Jimi Hendrix)

Team Sri Lanka 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 25

We had two small distributions today - the first just 180 kits and the second 320 this afternoon.  We were warmly welcomed to both sites and entertained by dance routines by some of the students.  The two pictures below show a grade 3 classroom. 

The grade 3 teacher and a few of her students.

The last bedkit presented today.

Team Sri Lanka, 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 25

A Special Celebration🌺

At the request of Mama Wandoa, we started our morning honouring the memory of Dave Dryden. Mama wants everyone to know that she and her family miss him very much.

Another successful day with lots of wonderful interactions with our children. As always our Upendo volunteers work very hard alongside us.

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Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo🇹🇿 + SCAW🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 23

Today we did a distribution of 984 bedkits with the Jaffna Rotary Club, at St Patrick’s College in Jaffna, located in northern Sri Lanka.

The students from 9 different schools who received bedkits today are a reflection of the Hindu faith of this particular community. The area around Jaffna is in the process of being rebuilt after a 30-year civil war between the Sri Lankan government and Tamal extremists ended in May 2009.

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After the distribution today, the Jaffna Rotarian president organized lunch at Ammachis, an outdoor venue made up of individual kiosks where women who are struggling financially are able to rent the spaces from the government. Each woman serves a different menu, keeping the profits for themselves.

In the evening, we attended a dinner hosted by the Jaffna Rotary Club as a thank you to SCAW for the bedkits distributed to children in the community.

Team Sri Lanka 2024

Rotary Club of Jaffna 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 24

Today we visited a school with a population of 3444 kindergarten to grade 7 students that included 31 totally blind and visually impaired students who live at the school during the week and may go home on the weekend. 

Team Tanzania, 2023: Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

 The staff were amazing and very accommodating to our group. 

 At the end of the day we enjoyed some fun with the level 7 class of 384 students who were in an outdoor class studying for their high school enrolment exams. They were outside because there simply was not a classroom big enough for them. 

We taught them the Hand Jive and they sang us a song called I Love my School. And although we were hot and tired we left revitalized and satisfied that 750 children including the 31 visually impaired children would have a better sleep tonight. 

 Thank you SCAW donors. 

 Team Tanzania, 2024

Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 23

Yesterday the team arrived in Vavnia, where we completed 2 distributions. We were welcomed with beautiful smiles and then presented with flower garlands to wear around our necks.

After the first school distribution, we traveled a short distance to visit a home of one of the children.  It was a modest home with 2 rooms: a kitchen and a bedroom. 

The entire family of 5 slept in one room on the concrete floor.  We saw that the family members use mats and blankets similar to the ones that we provide in the bedkit, to make their sleep more comfortable. This visit was a very humbling experience for the team as it showcased the importance of this work which supports healthy sleep for these children and their families.

Team Sri Lanka 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦