Tanzania: Day 1 — Maweni

From Tanzania Album 1

The team arrived late on Monday night.

It was a bleary-eyed but nevertheless exhilarated team that set off on the ferry across the Dar es Salaam harbour to Maweni. We were somewhat concerned to discover that not only did our driver not speak English, but he also had no idea where we were going once we disembarked the ferry.

He did have one redeeming feature: he did not hesitate to stop and ask for directions.

We arrived at Maweni and were greeted by Mama Wandoa, Director of the Upendo AIDS Centre and the voices of hundreds of curious children in the school yard.

It was immediately apparent that the children were needy. Mama Wandoa pointed out a few children wearing a red stripe on the sleeve of their school uniform. This marked them as special needs children with AIDS or epilepsy.

Tonight, six hundred children are sleeping with the comfort of a mattress and protected from mosquito-borne diseases by an LLIN (Long-lasting Insecticide Treated Net).

Following the distribution, we visited the home of a past bedkit recipient. The mother of this family was recently widowed. Mama Wandoa explained they were living in dire poverty in a small shelter. Because of the generosity of a school teacher who had built a small row of rooms, this mother and her three children had a roof over their heads. The poverty was palpable. It was an emotional time and six subdued volunteers left that little home to return to the comfort and -- in contrast -- the luxury of our hotel.

From Tanzania Album 1

I wish I could tell you we had some exotic Tanzania meal for dinner. We settled for Romano's Pizza next door, and most everyone has hit the hay as we start at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The photos show some of our adventures today including photos of some some of the
beautiful Tanzanian children. It is always about the children and for the children.

Linda Webb for the SCAW 2007 Tanzania travelling team.

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Tanzania: The team has arrived

From Tanzania 2007 Photo Album

SCAW 2007 Tanzania Travelling Team (left to right): Katie Sandiford, Maureen Maus, Nancy Loveless, Linda Webb (Team Leader), Sally Sandiford, Laura Harper.

Just a quick note to let you know that Sleeping Children's travelling team to Tanzania has arrived safely. Today they completed their first distribution.

When the first photos arrive you'll see them here.

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Sri Lanka: Visiting a bedkit recipient

From Sri Lanka Album 1

Lois Wey sent a report yesterday mentioning our team visited the homes of several bedkit recipients. One of these was particularly sad, in that we were told the father committed suicide due to his inabliity to bring his family out of their severe poverty.

Our team spent an emotional few minutes with the mother, bedkit recipient, and her older sister and grandmother.

They all knelt at our feet, and thanked us in the traditional Sri Lankan way for the bedkit their daughter received.

It was humbling for all of us to receive their thanks in this fashion.

You can see three photos from our visit in Sri Lanka Photo Album 1. One shows the outside, one the kitchen, and the family with team members Chris and Lynette.

Report submitted by Ted Swanston
for the SCAW Sri Lanka 2007 travelling team

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Sri Lanka: Photo Album 1

From Sri Lanka Album 1

Do you know Wally?

"Wally who," you say?

Well let me tell you we have a very important member of our team that few people know about. Yes, it's Wally.

Now Wally has a major role on our team - particularly making the children smile and helping them relax. Wally belongs to Lynette, our team leader, and Lynette always brings Wally to each distribution. At the opening ceremonies, Lynette will spend a few minutes (before the speeches start) introducing the children to Wally. The reaction is incredible.

Smiles all round.

From Sri Lanka Album 1

After the speeches, Wally shows up again at the photo shoot. He gets around you know. And the kids all smile when they see their new friend once again.

Wally does have his moments though. Someitmes he tries to "bite" a child - gently you understand - and this escalates the smiles into laughs and shrieks - all good fun.

What this accomplishes of course is lots and lots of smiles in the photos - and happy children heading off to collect thier bedkits.

I have had the joy of being able to spend some time taking photos of the most beautiful children, and lots of things happening at the distributions. For more photos of the children, (and Wally too) take a look in Sri Lanka Photo Album 1.

Report submitted by Ted Swanston
for the SCAW Sri Lanka 2007 travelling team

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Sri Lanka: Distribution four

Current Weather:

It is now about 7 pm Sri Lankan time, and we are resting after our latest bedkit distribution. As of today we have distributed bedkits to 3,200 children over four distributions. Each day has been a wonderful success — the Rotarians, community volunteers, and members of the Sri Lankan military have been assisting each day. Many hands make lighter work. Each distribution has been attended by about five schools who have all gathered at one central location.

The welcomes we have received from each community have been amazing. We have had marching bands, fresh flowers, flower necklaces, holy water, incense, and the presentation of stacked leaves. Most distributions have included a diverse mix of children and parents speaking Sinhalese, Tamil, and some English.

The children and parents have been especially relaxed, warm, and welcoming. We have had fun playing with the children, and they are delighted to mingle with Canadians. It has been wonderful that the children have not been fearful of us and there have been lots of smiles all around.

It is clear that we are working in an area with a lot of poverty. The Rotary Club has selected very appropriate centres for our bedkit distributions: where there is a clear and strong need for our assistance. We have been interviewing parents at each site to get feedback about the items chosen for the bedkits. They are clearly delighted with all of the items, and have stated that all the items are needed and important to receive. The quality of the items is also very good. This year's bedkit includes

• a plasticized woven mat,
• two t-shirts,
• a skirt for the girls or a sarong for the boys,
• two pair of shorts,
• a mosquito net,
• a strong backpack,
• 5 exercise books,
• a box of pencils,
• a pillow,
• a second pillowcase,
• two towels and
• two bedcovers.

It is quite an amazing bedkit for a donation of $30 Canadian.

Yesterday we were able to visit the homes of two children who received bedkits. Both homes were very simple and constructed of woven roofs, dirt floors, and concrete or mud walls. The cooking areas were very basic and poor. The living conditions of these families was heartbreaking. An average day's pay is about $2, and this makes it very hard to live.

Today we had a slight delay in the distribution and used the time to play with the children to keep them amused. Hokey Pokey, playing with a ball, using a puppet, and just hamming it up was a lot of fun for all.

There are only two distribution days left. We want to assure all of you that we have been keeping well and safe, and are thoroughly enjoying this special experience with the children.

Report submitted by Lois Wey
for the SCAW Sri Lanka 2007 travelling team

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Sri Lanka: Three distributions completed

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There are six of us in Sri Lanka with the delightful task of personally delivering bedkits to 4,500 needy children in the Puttalam area north of the capital city of Colombo. We arrived in Colombo on July 5^th after a long series of flights (Toronto to Alaska to Hong Kong to Singapore to Colombo) and were very thankful that we had a day to adjust our body clocks to Sri Lanka time.

The Rotary Club of Kelaniya has done a wonderful job of organizing this distribution. We left on July 7^th by 6 am and headed three hours north to our first distribution site where we were met by some lovely young girls who ceremoniously presented each of us with a handful of leaves. The distribution of the first 650 bedkits went extremely smoothly, and we knew that our "team" was going to do well. Since then we have completed two more very successful distributions each of 650 bedkits. At the second site we were greeted by an eastern girls' band, who played their instruments so well. The third day we were also greeted by a wonderful girls' band. Each day has been a thrilling experience.

The success of each of these three distributions has been supported by the members of the Rotary Club who have attended to all the details: the prior registration of the neediest children; the purchasing, packing and delivery of the bedkits to each distribution site; and the preparation of volunteers to assist with every step. The Sri Lankan military has been extremely helpful at each site, providing security and also a team of friendly soldiers to provide more helpful hands. This has made each distribution extremely smooth, with lots of fun for the children and their parents.

Each distribution site has included a diverse group of children speaking Sinhalese, Tamil, and English and practicing the religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu and Muslim. Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly. What has been most delightful is the warmth and ease of the children, who have been smiling from the beginning of each distribution day.

We have four more days of distribution in the area, and anticipate that everything will continue to go smoothly.

The bedkits are lovely, and have been most appreciated by all the families who have received them.

We are unable to send pictures from this rural site, as there is not high speed internet, but hope that they can follow later.

Report submitted by Lois Wey
for the 2007 SCAW Sri Lanka travelling team

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Sri Lanka: Leave your comments here

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Togo: 7 — Distribution is complete

For the 3,000 children in Togo, who just received a SCAW bedkit, life has changed:

• No more sores on their tiny bodies from sleeping on the ground.
• They won’t wake up in the middle of the night because they are cold.
• They now have a few more clothes to wear.
• They also have some school supplies which their parents really appreciated.
• We brought trust and hope back into their lives. We actually delivered. Promises were made and kept.
• A parent commented that bedkits helped unite the whole family.

According to our Overseas Volunteer Organization, AED-Togo, Sleeping Children Around the World was one of the first not-for-profit organizations to return to Togo since the political unrest in the nineties.

The team is now playing tourist for the last few days while we wait for the Air France to come and get us.

SCAW Togo travelling team

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Togo: Photo Album 5

Togo — Album 5

Togo: 6 — Malaria prevention

Malaria in the whole of Africa is killing many children on a daily basis. As a result, mosquito nets are used to protect the children when they are sleeping.

While speaking to parents of the 500 children receiving bedkits today, we asked, "How many of you have mosquito nets at home?"

Not one hand went up.

So the Long Lasting Insecticidal Mosquito Net that is in the Togo bedkit is greatly appreciated by both the parents and the children.

SCAW Togo travelling team

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Togo: Photo Album 4

Togo 2007 — Album 4

Uganda: Photo Album 9

Uganda 2007 — Album 9

Uganda: 9 — Memories of Uganda

They are many . . .

• The spontaneous waves and smiles
• The overloaded bicycles
• The large baskets balanced upon women’s heads
• The children pumping water at the well
• The babies ... and more babies
• Throat music
• People walking by the roadside – all day and all night
• Roadside markets
• Everyone talking at once
• Matoki – the favourite food!
• Rice fields, tea plantations, mountain side farming plots
• Bumpy roads ... red dust ... everywhere!
• The rooster ... our morning alarm
• Extended hands of gratitude
• Loss of electricity ... again!
• Friendships

                  ... we will never forget!

Sleeping Children's 2007 Uganda travelling team

Thanks, once again, to Felix Rwamafa for emailing the Uganda Live Reports and photos to Canada. He says:

"This is the last report as the SCAW Team in Uganda is packing to come back to Canada. It's been lovely giving my service to the team. Looking forward seeing them next year and do the same work.

"I wish them a safe journey."

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Togo: Photo Album 3

Togo — Album 3

Togo: 5 — Parents give thanks

From Togo — Album 3

After experiencing torrential downpours on Monday — monsoons started early — the past two days have been beautiful for picture taking.

Here are some parent comments as they watched their children get their bedkits:

• "My son now owns more than I do."
• Two parents wished for God to make them a child again.
• "This is a miracle. I did not expect you to show up because we are promised stuff all the time and never get it."

Thank you, donors, for giving the Togo team the opportunity to deliver these gifts to the children of Lome, Togo.

SCAW Togo travelling team

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Uganda: 8 — The Inner Wheel of Kampala

Uganda 2007 — Album 8

Our overseas partner in Uganda is an organization of women called the Inner Wheel of Kampala. This is a Rotary club composed of women who place "service above self."

Strong, capable, and exceptionally well organized, these women have completed the demanding responsibilities leading up to the distribution. They have obtained competitive quotes to achieve the best price and quality of bedkit items. They have worked with remote village administrators to gain their trust so the distribution can go forward. Their efforts have resulted in the selection of 5,000 very needy children who will receive the precious gifts. They also provided a detailed financial report.

These Angels of Africa are important models for the young girls in the villages we visit.

This may be the very first time they have seen a women in a leadership role!

Sleeping Children's 2007 Uganda travelling team

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Uganda: 7 — The Colours of Uganda

For those who have never seen Uganda, you may imagine an African nation that suffers from drought and depression. Our experience tells a far different story!

Although poverty is ever-present and AIDS and malaria are urgent medical challenges, the nation has an emerging vitality!

Ugandans love their vibrant colours. Their clothing is bright and attractive and often clean. The geography is spectacular. The rice fields, small farms and gently rolling landscapes in the east are beautiful. Small villages, towns, and cities are alive with markets and small vending stations.

People are everywhere!

Uganda 2007 — Album 7

The west has mountains that are captivating. Tea and coffee plantations are plentiful — together with the ever-present matoki fields.

Those of us who are fortunate to travel to this nation of “friends” will never forget this “pearl of Africa”.

Sleeping Children's 2007 Uganda travelling team

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Togo: 4 — First day's distribution

From Togo 2007 — Photo Album 2

The children welcomed us with: a banner, signs, flowers, songs and dances.

• The children were absolutely adorable.
• We had a few logistical issues to sort out but our primary objective was achieved. We distributed 500 bed kits to 500 needy children.
• Heavy rains forced us inside for more than half of the pictures.
• The team worked as if they had done this many times before.
• Warren is cooking spaghetti for supper — no weight will be lost on this trip.
• Everyone is staying healthy and loving the children.
• The team has to practice “O Canada” — Eileen said we were very flat.

The Sleeping Children 2007 Togo travelling team.

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Togo: Photo Album 2

Togo 2007 — Photo Album 2

From Togo 2007 — Photo Album 2

Togo: 3 — Togo’s Overseas Volunteer Organization

From Togo 2007 — Photo Album 1

SCAW’s new found partner in Togo is a not-for-profit organization called Action Enfance et Développement Togo (AED-Togo) whose primary goal is the care of women and children affected with AIDS. They arrange things such as:

• The adoption of children left without parents who have died of AIDS.
• Help children get their birth certificates. (If a birth certificate is not obtained within 30 days of the child’s birth it is very costly and time-consuming process in Togo.)
• Help supply water for women.
• Promote income-generating activities for women.
• Provide school supplies and pay school fees.
• Arrange Christmas parties, meals, and gifts for children.

All indications are that plans are all in place and everyone is anxious to get started.

The team’s first day in Togo was a day of relaxation and acclimatization, so we did the following:

• Went grocery shopping.
• Had a pre-distribution meeting with AED to plan for the next two weeks.
• Out for Lunch.
• Exchanged some US$ to Togo Francs (CFA’s) with a street vendor.
• Back to hotel for a siesta.
• Off to visit a small community made up of a church, two schools (primary & secondary), hospital and an orphanage in a very poor area of Togo.

Cannot wait to see the children!

Sleeping Children travelling team: Clarence Deyoung (Team leader), Carolyn Carere, Sonya Heleno, Iain Maciver, Eileen Rademacher, Warren Wagstaff.