SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 24

Monday in Madh!

Our distribution today took us over a scenic mountain pass to the village of Madh. A crowd of excited children and parents greeted us this morning, many who had travelled from over 30 communities for the distribution. 

Our enthusiastic Rotary partners hosted the opening ceremonies and we enjoyed watching two groups of children perform traditional Indian dances in their colourful costumes.

It was delightful to see bedkits and mattresses being loaded onto vehicles and two-wheelers to be taken home although it was a challenging task to get all the bedkits and people loaded for the long trips.

After our work was completed, we shared a meal with our Rotary friends at the nearby school. The school principal shared that the Indian government provides funding so that all school children receive a mid-day meal. At this school, an NGO ChildFund, provides resources and training in computer and life skills. We also stopped briefly at the Rural Health Centre. The proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child," rings true in this village.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Philippines, 2025: November 24

This is a remote distribution. This post was written by a member of the Kiwanis Club of Ilocos Sur

Dream of Every Child Turned Into a Reality : The Distribution of Bedkits

There are moments in a community’s story when compassion becomes more than a virtue - it becomes a movement. In Ilocos Sur, such a moment unfolded as organizations, local leaders, and volunteers came together with a shared purpose, to bring comfort, dignity, and hope to 600 children from the towns of Santa and Salcedo, Ilocos Sur. What began as a simple act of giving sleeping kits grew into a shining example of how unity and service can change young lives. When hearts beat for the same cause, ordinary days turn into extraordinary stories of love for children.

Behind this mission were two organizations fuelled by a deep belief that every child deserves comfort and care. Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) in Canada has long carried this compassion across borders, offering bedkits that bring not only warmth and rest, but also a sense of being seen and valued. In the Philippines, the World of Sweet Dreams, Inc. (WOSDI), led by PLD Gov. Melvin Mendoza, embraced this same calling with heart and purpose. Bound together by a shared understanding, the two organizations forged a partnership that opened the door for hundreds of young Ilocanos to experience a simple yet powerful gift, a peaceful night’s sleep. Their united mission became the spark that ignited an unforgettable act of community love in Ilocos Sur.

When WOSDI turned to a local partner to carry the mission forward, the Kiwanis Club of Ilocos Sur (KCIS) stepped up without hesitation. True to their mission of serving children everywhere, the club took the lead in identifying 600 indigent children across Santa and Salcedo. Officers and members coordinated closely with school principals, local mayors, and Municipal Social Welfare Development Officers to ensure that every child in need would be included. They organized logistics, secured distribution venues, and even partnered with the local police for safety transforming a challenging task into a well-planned, seamless operation. Through their collaboration, KC Ilocos Sur under the able leadership of President Leopoldo Gironella Jr. and with the guidance of Charter President Edgar Tejada and all other officers and members demonstrated unwavering support and mutual understanding that when commitment meets careful planning, acts of service can reach far and touch many lives.

The mission’s success was a true testament to the power of community. In Santa and Salcedo, Ilocos Sur local government leaders opened their hearts and resources, allowing the Santa Farmers Multi-Purpose Building and the Salcedo Covered Court to become spaces of joy and hope. School principals, Municipal Social Welfare Development Officers, and the local police worked side by side with Kiwanis volunteers, ensuring that each child was recognized, welcomed, and cared for. The day was filled not only with the distribution of sleeping kits but also with laughter, shared meals, and the simple warmth of human connection. In every detail from the safe and orderly process to the delicious snacks provided, the collaborative effort radiated a message that when a community joins hands, children truly feel seen, valued, and loved.

The officers and members of KC Ilocos Sur were more than organizers, they were living examples of kindness in action. From carefully distributing each sleeping kit to sharing smiles, snacks, and bottled water, they poured their hearts into every interaction. Laughter echoed through the venues as children received their gifts, and the volunteers’ genuine care created moments that went far beyond the material, the simple act of being seen, valued, and loved. In every helping hand, in every warm greeting, the spirit of Kiwanis came alive, a reminder that service is not just about giving, but about touching lives and inspiring hope. The joy and gratitude of the children became the heartbeat of the day, proving that when love and action meet, communities flourish and dreams take flight.

The distribution of sleeping kits to 600 children in Santa and Salcedo was far more than an act of charity. It was a living testament to the power of unity, compassion, and the unwavering belief that every child deserves comfort, dignity, and care. Through the heartfelt collaboration of SCAW, WOSDI, KC Ilocos Sur, and the local government units, this mission became a celebration of community spirit, love in action, and dreams uplifted. Laughter, gratitude, and joy filled the air as children received their kits, but the true gift was the sense of being seen, valued, and cherished. Tonight, as the children rested peacefully in their new sleeping kits, the ripple of human kindness lingered, a reminder that when hearts join together for a common purpose, ordinary moments transform into extraordinary legacies of hope.

 Team Philippines, 2025

World of Sweet Dreams, Inc. Philippines 🇵🇭 + SCAW 🇨🇦 (remote)

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 23

We drove north of Pune to visit the homes of children who had received bedkits in February 2025. The first two homes were in a rural area producing vegetables, corn, and sugar cane. Walking through the settlement we recognized clothing from the bedkits drying on clotheslines and rooftops. The hoodie was spotted several places and one child was wearing the pajamas. 

We visited a boy whose parents were at work in the fields so his grandmother was minding her four grandchildren. They showed us the bedkit items and said the hoodie, pajamas, shorts and shirts were well used. They had recently built a two room house which had no furniture but had space for everyone to sleep on the floor. Their old house is now a kitchen and houses the cattle at night to protect them from leopards. Leopards have moved into this area as their habitat is destroyed. There have been several attacks on livestock and humans and no one goes outside after dark.

The second site was in an area of subsistence farmers growing bananas, sugar cane, grapes, chrysanthemums, pomegranates and papayas.

We visited a young girl and her mother and brother. She showed us the bedkit items and especially loved the shorts and shirts as she enjoys sports but never had the proper clothes to wear. The warm bedding and blanket have not been used yet because of the heat wave since February, but she is looking forward to using them as winter sets in.

The final visit was with a boy, his widowed mother, and his grandparents. The boy appreciated the clothing most, however he has had a growth spurt so has outgrown some of the items. His grandmother talked to us about the importance of him getting a good education, an opportunity she never had.

These families were so grateful to SCAW donors for the gift of a bedkit. Despite their hardships, the families were generous to us with their time and insisted on giving us gifts in return - papayas, dill and coriander fresh from the garden and delicious cookies baked with flour grown and prepared from their fields.

We drove off towards a beautiful sunset, feeling that the spirit of giving can be found in everyone.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 22

We were greeted today by over 700 children and their parents in Khandala, near Satara. Our hosts received us with a warm welcome and we were adorned with traditional headwear for the opening ceremonies.

Hall filled with eager children

Julie with headwear and flowers

Although a bit chaotic to start, the SCAW team and Rotary partners pulled together quickly to run a smooth distribution. 

The Rotary Team Captain for today was Sakina and after making sure all was well, she settled in to do our tracking for the day. 

Helen, Julie (taking photos) and Sakina (tracking)

The chldren must be accompanied by a parent or guardian as the collective bedkit items could not be carried by a chlld alone.

Helping a child put on his new backpack

Mother and child getting black bag with bedkit items

Mother and child picking up the mattress

Today I had the special privilege to deliver some of the bedkits that my friends in Canada have donated. It is very rewarding to see the smiles on the children's faces and know that 100% of our money is put into the bedkit items for each child.

Helen with bedkit recipient

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 21

A Successful First Distribution

We left the chaos of Pune city traffic and drove three hours on curving mountain roads lined with wildflowers  and the lush Satara forest.  This area was chosen for a distribution because the region had experienced devastating floods during historic monsoon rains in June and there was a great need for the items in the bedkits.

We travelled through an agricultural area where the sugar cane harvest was in progress before arriving at the community centre for our first distribution at Koregaon in the district of Satara. 

We were greeted by a band of drummers and horns and members of the local Rotarian club. It was an emotional experience as 700 children, their parents, grandparents and teachers welcomed us with cheers and clapping. Following a brief cultural ceremony the SCAW team presented the items in the bedkit. 

The children cheered loudest for the warm hoodie, the fleece blanket and the raincoat. That told us that our Overseas Volunteer Partner, the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonement, truly identified and met the specific needs of their community.

Our first distribution day went smoothly, and our SCAW team of two were so appreciative of the experience and hard work of all the Rotarian volunteers. Afterwards the local Rotarians graciously hosted us for a traditional lunch, so delicious!

We hope that all 709 children will sleep better tonight and be prepared for the cold winter nights and next year’s monsoon season.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Philippines, 2025: November 21

This is a remote distribution.

Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW), in partnership with World of Sweet Dreams, Inc. (WOSDI) went back to Burgos, Ilocos Norte for the second time after about 7 years. 350 joyful and grateful children were selected from various localities with the help of local leaders and teachers from Burgos Central Elementary School. Mayor Crescente N. Garcia allowed the venue to be transfered to the town gymnasium so as not to disrupt classes in the nearby school.

We were treated by the Mayor to lunch with lechon (charcoal roasted pig), grilled fish freshly caught from the nearby sea, and a hard to find seaweed known as “gamet” which can only be found in Burgos.

Parents were very happy to see their children receiving an early Christmas gift. When the contents of the bedkits were displayed, even the teachers and other volunteers wanted to have their own bedkits! Teachers, students, a policeman, the Mayor and some local leaders had fun when our group allowed them to have their pictures taken while handing over the bedkits to the children. It was an unforgettable experience for them.

The distribution took only a little more than an hour because the recipients were well-organized and well-behaved. Special mention goes to spouses Ruben and Nona Rivera who graciously lent their air-conditioned tourist bus to transport the bedkits from Manila and provided snacks for the children. The bus will also be used for other distribution sites in the Ilocos region.

Team Philippines, 2025

World of Sweet Dreams, Inc. Philippines 🇵🇭 + SCAW 🇨🇦 (remote)

SCAW Blog: Philippines, 2025: November 19

Usually, a team of SCAW volunteers from Canada take the lead in the distribution process but they had to cancel their trip this time due to some unforseen events. We have teamed up remotely.

The Kiwanis Clubs of Cainta Vista Verde, Cainta Hope, Angeles City and Pasay City formed a non-stock and non-profit corporation known as World of Sweet Dreams, Inc. (WOSDI) which partnered with Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW). This is the second time this year that SCAW donated funds to WOSDI.

The funds donated by SCAW are used exclusively for the cost of bedkit items. SCAW believes that every child deserves a good night’s sleep and that a day of hope begins with a good night’s sleep. This blends perfectly well with the motto of Kiwanis which is “Serving The Children of the World”. With the guidance of SCAW, WOSDI takes care of overall planning, supervision and organization of the distribution process, including the purchase of bedkit items and selection of local coordinators for each distribution site who, in turn, identify recipients who are between 6 to 12 years old.

The first distribution site for November 2025 is in Marikina Elementary School with The Bread of Life Disciples Inc. as local coordinator. The teachers of Marikina Elementary School and members of the Philippine Coast Guard assisted WOSDI in the distribution process.

Thank you to our donors and our hard-working partners for making this remote distribution possible.

Team Philippines, 2025

World of Sweet Dreams, Inc. Philippines 🇵🇭 + SCAW 🇨🇦 (remote)

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 20

Team Pune has arrived!  Unfortunately, we are a team of two due to issues getting visas for our travelling volunteers. But fortunately, we are working with a very organized and supportive group of Rotary Clubs to accomplish our mission.

We had our pre-distribution meeting with the core planning team from the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment.

Photo from left to right: Helen, Julie, Sameer, Hema, Tawhid, Rajeshree, Nitin and Pankaj.

We discussed the details of our distribution and were shown the bedkit items. New this year is a 2” foam mattress covered in durable fabric.  Later in the evening we met and shared a meal with the 10 Rotary partner clubs that work together to make this project a success.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 29

Fun on the last day! 

125 mattresses greeted us as we drove into the school we have used for the last 4 days. 

While the children were being gathered, our fearless leader was entertaining the children in somewhat of an unorthodox way  by blowing bubbles and then eating them! Imagine the look on their faces! 😝

Some children laughed but, better yet, some wanted to try it themselves. 

Once the children had all arrived the distribution ran smoothly and we completed another successful distribution. Thanks SCAW donors for your commitment to the children. 

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 28

Freetown, Sierra Leone: Street Living

The streets of Sierra Leone are different than any other country I have visited. It is just a different look, feel, energy, sound and smell.

Sierra Leoneans use the streets of their cities as their living space which includes kitchen, living area and sometimes bedroom. It is their market, place of business, place to socialize and have fun. Please look at the 2-minute slow motion street scene video and the sights will fill in the absent sounds and smells.

Other visuals: ice cream vendor selling cones for 20 cents, wood fired clothing iron in a tailor shop, a furniture maker, barber shop, belching exhausts, amazing side streets, entertaining moto-taxi signs (called Ke Keh in Sierra Leone), and (perhaps tongue in cheek) Submissive Wife Restaurant and Husband is the Head Supermarket, football practice on the beach at sunset and so much more.

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This is a fascinating country!

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 27

Thank you

A simple "thank you" can change everything - it turns strangers into friends

and moments into memories.

English is spoken in Sierra Leone, and throughout the day, it rings out across our SCAW distribution.

Thank you from each of our 22 volunteers (many teachers), as we present them with a simple pin - a symbol of friendship between Canada and Sierra Leone.

Thank you from our overseas partners - this being our first SCAW distribution in Sierra Leone, they have worked tirelessly to make it the success it is.

Thank you from every child who receives a SCAW bedkit and all its treasures.

Many thank-yous from the parents and their communities. And thank you to the tailors who, in 6 weeks, made 500 sets of clothing, the backpacks, the fitted bedsheets and the pillow cases!

Thank you to our driver, who ensures we arrive safely at each distribution and back home again.

And finally, thank you to all our SCAW donors for creating so many thank-yous.

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 26

A New Adventure Begins

For the first time in SCAW history we have a team on the ground in Sierra Leone, Africa!

After an almost 2 hour drive along the beautiful countryside of Freetown we entered the small village of Waterloo. Eco-Soap Bank approached Sleeping Children about 7 years ago and with true diligence they responded to the requirements necessary to be accepted as a new Overseas Partner. 

This morning we met at the Eco-Soap storage facility. This husband and wife team employ 25 unskilled workers who re-cycle used bars of soaps shipped from all over the United States to a factory here in the small community of Waterloo. Scraps of unused soaps from hotels across the country go to schools with challenged students, orphanages, detention centres and other schools! They work with 4 major international organizations including World Vision. 

They connected with Sleeping Children Around the World all from a random Google search! On a trial basis the team is here to deliver 500 bedkits to children from 4 different schools who need them the most in the Waterloo community. They have worked with the teachers and the community leaders and, along with 20 volunteers, we were able to enrich the lives of 125 students today. We delivered the bedkits in a roped-off area identical to the daily flow chart that was presented to them as new OVPs (Overseas Volunteer Partners) . 

Since it was Sunday we were surprised to see the children in their uniforms to receive their gifts.

We head back to the same site tomorrow to welcome another school so stay tuned!

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 25

From Togo to Sierra Leone Travel Day

With lots of hugs for Messenh, Frida and Dosseh we left Togo for a relatively smooth flight to Siera Leone. The only serious delay was Sue Small had so charmed the people of Togo, they didn’t want her to leave and after an hour of delays and filling out extra forms her passport was finally stamped, and we made our flight!

As you can see from the map, Freetown Airport is a ferry ride to the city of Freetown and we enjoyed a beautiful 40-minute trip with a sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

We also made new friends (with the beautiful earrings) as you can see in the photo below.

We are excited to meet the new group in Sierra Leone for our very first distribution in this country!

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blogs: Guatemala, 2025: October 16-18

October 16 Blog

The Terrain & Travel in Guatemala 

Guatemala is known for its mountains and volcanoes. There is still one active volcano “Fuego” which emits smoke every 15-20 minutes.

To avoid a 6 hour drive we chartered two small planes and flew to Cobán which is a city of approximately 2 million people. The small plane allows you to see the mountainous terrain with steep windy roads. We drove for another 2 hours to reach our destination, Las Arrugas Verapaz.

During our drive we encountered many potholes and partially blocked roads due to fallen rocks and mud slides. It rained at times which created pooling water and further delay.

There is no municipal transportation in towns so residents rely primarily on motorcycles and tuktuks to navigate the hilly streets. Many bedkit recipients used tuktuks. In more remote areas the roads are not paved and are very slippery after a rainfall.

Team Guatemala, 2025

Seeds of Innovation for Sustainable Development 🇬🇹 and SCAW 🇨🇦

October 17 Blog

Home Visits

In the area of Guatemala we visited, there is a prominent Mayan culture and the people in the homes we visited spoke one of the 20 dialects. A local teacher accompanied us to the homes and translated for us.

We walked a steep, narrow and muddy path to a house make of wood with a corrugated metal roof. It had a busy courtyard with free range chickens and turkeys. There is a small cooking area where meals are prepared over an open wood fire. The family had 4 children and one bed with a mattress and a second bed with a wood base but no mattress until the bedkit arrived. There is one very small electric light and no indoor plumbing but the family has a water collection system. The earth floor was carefully swept. The family’s  belongings were organized on two small shelves. The mother had constructed a loom using a discarded bicycle wheel and wove traditional scarves, which she sold to help her 15 year old daughter continue with high school.

The second home had one small room with a bed and a tiny lean-to on the side for cooking. The walls were make of old corrugated steel full of holes. This family has one son about 8. The mother was most appreciative of the mosquito net and blanket.

Thank you to the wonderful donors who make this all possible.

Team Guatemala, 2025

Seeds of Innovation for Sustainable Development 🇬🇹 and SCAW 🇨🇦

October 18 Blog

As we complete our distribution of 4000 bedkits to the children of Guatemala, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our hosts and partner coordinators Noe Caal (Alta Verapez) and Isabel Zacarias (Quiche) with Students Offering Support and Guatemala Ground Swell. Their work in assembling a small army of volunteers in their community made for a wonderfully successful experience.

SOS Volunteers

From our initial welcome in the community centre to our final distribution in small village school, we were surrounded by a supportive community. Thank you to the mayors, teachers, parents, and youthful volunteers who made everything work. On every distribution day, our team and volunteers were given a nutritious lunch. Each day we had the pleasure of working with volunteers that treated the children with gentleness and could reassure the young ones in their native Mayan. Children were excited but often very reserved at the camera.

Welcome ceremony

Mothers waited patiently to carry home the bedkit. Many women shifted it to their head to balance it for the trip home.

Some were able to take a tuktuk to carry the load, while others fit tightly into a community bus.

Little girls returned with hand made gifts for the team

The turkey in the family courtyard often finds its way to a traditional soup with special guests being given the wing!

Pamac home

Hill top village

Life at the top of the mountain. Wood is used for cooking

Team Guatemala, 2025

Seeds of Innovation for Sustainable Development 🇬🇹 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Togo, 2025: October 24

Fun on our final day!

Imagine our delight when we drove up to the cheers of the children on the final day in Togo. When they saw the truck carrying the mattresses and bedkits they could not contain their cheers and excitement!

The mattresses were quickly unloaded while the 2 principals called the names of the children who then assembled in a classroom, waiting anxiously for us to set up the photo site.

In the meantime, 2 of the SCAW team members showed the waiting 125 children what exactly they would be receiving. Their cheers could be heard in the next village! 👏

500 children will rest peacefully tonight and all thanks to the wonderful SCAW donors!

Team Togo, 2025

Association Developpement Enfance et Social Togo 🇹🇬 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Togo, 2025: October, 23

   Kindness

                          The light of kindness

                           is always in you.

                           It's like a superpower

                           that gives you the ability

                           to find your purpose,

                           to change life,

                           and to make the world a better place. 

Kindness was found everywhere today:

- in our awesome volunteers

- in our new SCAW children

- in their parents and grandparents

- in their teachers and principal

- in our bus driver, and

- in our SCAW team.

Thank you to our donors for enabling us to spread kindness.

Team Togo, 2025

Association Developpement Enfance et Social Togo 🇹🇬 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Togo, 2025: October 22

Time, Talent and Treasure

Sleeping Children is back in Togo after several years absence, thanks to ADES – Togo*, a new charitable organization specifically set up to partner with SCAW and resume helping Togo children living in poverty – and all of it because of the leadership of brothers, Messenh and Dosseh.

Followers of SCAW in Togo might remember these two from the ‘three musketeers’, who, as young men with their cousin, helped every SCAW team, every day. Well, they are now in their 30s, have families and wish to give back this time with their time, talent and treasure. They formed ADES – Togo with about 25 young women and men (21 volunteers were at the first distribution!) and it is a joy to see them bring joy to the distributions as they help organize, play and interact with the children, families and us, the SCAW volunteers.

Three of the four on our team have been to previous Togo distributions and see the ‘three musketeers’ in all the ADES – Togo members. High praise!

Their logo represents it all - for the children they (and we) are helping be happy, joyful, playful, safe and cared for.

Team Togo, 2025

Association Developpement Enfance et Social Togo 🇹🇬 + SCAW 🇨🇦

*Association Developpement Enfance et Social

SCAW Blog: Togo, 2025: October 21, 2025

“ I am good, I am great” 🎼 🎼 🎼

That was the song that the children sang to us in English at the completion of a successful first day distribution in Togo! We are thrilled to be back in Togo with the ADES - Togo (Association Developpement Enfance et Social) group after a gap of a few years. And they didn’t disappoint - 125 children experiencing poverty received the gift of a bedkit to ensure a good night’s sleep!

We also were able to visit 2 homes of children in the village of Bolougan who received a bedkit today. Here we witnessed a co-op where they made clay pots and bricks. They had a 300 meter deep well which supplied the village with water, saving them having to walk several miles to get water from the river!

The first house was made of clay and housed a family of 8 which included a young girl. The second house was of a single mother and her 12 year old boy and what we noticed right away were sayings on the wall in chalk. The young boy was a big fan of soccer and we knew that because of what was written.

We are off to a great start and thankful for the donors and the smiles that we received today!

Team Togo, 2025

Association Developpement Enfance et Social Togo 🇹🇬 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Guatemala, 2025: October 14

Today was our first day of three days of distributions in San Juan Cotzal.  At 8:30 AM we arrived at the local recreation centre which was filled with children, parents teachers and volunteers, all anxious for the opening ceremonies and the distribution.

The ceremonies began with the procession of the flags of Canada and Guatemala followed by the SCAW team with an honour guard of 6-7 year old smiling children dressed in their new fleece outfits waving balloons and Canadian flags.

This was followed by the singing of the national anthems of Guatemala and Canada and then addresses by the local SOS coordinator Isabela, the local coordinator of Education, and the Mayor. Then we were entertained with traditional dancing and singing by a group of young girls and one boy in traditional attire. This boy stole the show with his talent and stage presence. We can only imagine the performer he will be in ten years.

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We then set up for the distribution of 250 bedsits in the morning. We had been concerned about the weather because it was raining when we awoke in the AM but it did settle in the morning. During the early afternoon there was hard rain shower for a short period which did not affect the distribution of 350 bedsits. 

By the time we finished for the afternoon it had cleared and we walked about 1.5 km, almost all uphill, back to our hotel. This gave us a chance to see everyday life in this community and to get some fresh air. It was time for a short rest, then supper and early to bed as we will be busy tomorrow.

Team Guatemala, 2025

Seeds of Innovation for Sustainable Development 🇬🇹 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Guatemala, 2025: October 13

Today, we left San Cristobal to travel by small coach to San Juan Cotzal for the second half of our distributions. Before departing we were treated to a lovely breakfast at our hotel by the very supportive mayor of San Cristobal, Mr Celso Gue Gua. He shared his passion for education and his enthusiasm for SCAW’s work.

The trip was 121 km through the mountains - over a mix of paved, gravel and washed-out roads. The elevation changes and hairpin turns made for both spectacular views and nail-biting moments. A short stop for lunch in Nebaj allowed us to stretch our legs and see the central square complete with an underground parking garage. It was a long trip made enjoyable through our good spirited team.

Upon arrival we said “adios” to Noe, our San Cristobal host and “mucho gusto” to Isabelle who will host us in Cotzal. Together with their teams, they have done an extraordinary job preparing for the distribution of 4,000 bedkits to be evenly split between the two regions.

We can’t thank them enough!

Team Guatemala, 2025

Seeds of Innovation for Sustainable Development 🇬🇹 and SCAW 🇨🇦