Mumbai: Day 3 — 360 More Bedkits
Today we visited the towns of Ambarnath and Kalyan to distribution a total of 360 bed kits. We travelled two hours each way in order to reach the distribution sites. With the traffic in Mumbai - it was quite a trip.
Our welcome at Kalyan was truly amazing. We were met with a musical band including drums and bugles as well as each was given flower necklaces (leis), roses, and showered with flower petals. Truly an amazing experience.
The students also created coloured chalk art as a symbol to welcome us to their school.
After the bedkits had been distributed to show their gratitude, the local women performed a "long life" blessing ceremony for each of us. Following this we all enjoyed lunch in the teachers rooms with our Roterary counterparts.
We are looking forward to Vasai and Bhiwandi tomorrow.
More to come ...
The Mumbai 2009 Team
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Our welcome at Kalyan was truly amazing. We were met with a musical band including drums and bugles as well as each was given flower necklaces (leis), roses, and showered with flower petals. Truly an amazing experience.
The students also created coloured chalk art as a symbol to welcome us to their school.
After the bedkits had been distributed to show their gratitude, the local women performed a "long life" blessing ceremony for each of us. Following this we all enjoyed lunch in the teachers rooms with our Roterary counterparts.
We are looking forward to Vasai and Bhiwandi tomorrow.
More to come ...
The Mumbai 2009 Team
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Chennai: 681 children in Kumaran Mahal
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| From Chennai Photo Album 2009 |
Today was the last day of our 3-day road trip to the Vellore area. We left the guest house of the Golden Temple in the morning and drove to the bustling town of Kumaran Mahal, Sathuvacharry where the children, all dressed in their new school outfits, waited for us in a beautiful marriage hall.
681 children received bed kits and left the area happily toting them home. Lots of happy children!
We finished about 3pm and one of the Rotarians, Chan, took us to a project he has worked on: a workshop for physically-handicapped women. He employs 136 women, all physically-handicapped in some way, who assemble parts for the automobile industry in India. It was incredible to see. There was a whole gamut of jobs being done.
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| From Chennai Photo Album 2009 |
The women are on salary and share in the profits of the shop. They have health benefits and some insurance (I think) and Chan himself takes them on a 3-day holiday each year.
As well, with the help of the government who provided the land, a house with "proper toilet and kitchen, and measuring 210 square feet," is registered in each employee's name. The cost to each woman for her house is 5,000 rupees ($163.93 Canadian).
It was amazing to see, and all in all, a very good day.
Mary-Jo Lang
for Team Chennai 2009
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Mumbai: Day 2 — 230 Bedkits
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| From Mumbai 2009 Photo Album |
The children were eagerly waiting upon our arrival with smiles from ear to ear. The girls were dressed in brightly colored polka-dot dresses and the boys in shorts and golf shirts. The children were very excited to see their bedkits and laboriously dragged them away.
Our Hindi is slowly improving with each distribution.
One of the distributions was in a more rural area of Mumbai with a long stretch of road leading up to the school. A Rotary Club member mentioned that the road closed each night after midnight due to the fact that wildlife such as tigers roam the area.
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| From Mumbai 2009 Photo Album |
More to come ...
The Mumbai 2009 Team
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Chennai: Two distribution sites today
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| Singing the alphabet. From Chennai Photo Album 2009 |
Today was a very busy day. We completed two separate distributions, with very little time for other activities such as food.
The first distribution, at Sri Puram, was delayed even though the children, the bedkits, and our team were all in place. While this could have been frustrating, it turned into a great time of interacting with the beautiful children from this area of the world. Their spoken English was often limited to "How are you, I am fine", but these children did know how to sing the alphabet and recite "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and they did this for us with great enthusiasm. They loved shaking hands and laughing at our attempts to say simple things to them in their language.
The second distribution, at Gudiyatham, started as soon as we arrived, and went quite late. Our Rotarian hosts were very gracious in supplying us with water and food while we worked. Again, the highlight was the time that we spent talking with the children, who were both shy and curious about us.
Seeing these beautiful children, and the hope in their eyes as they accept the bedkit, is truly gratifying. I think we will all sleep well tonight.
Jeff McDougall
for Team Chennai 2009
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Mumbai: Distributions are underway
The SCAW 2009 distribution team to Mumbai, India consists of Vic Wilbee, Grace Wood, Sarah Axelson, Lynette Jenkins, Doug Cunningham, (Team leader), and Lisa Remillard. We left Canada at 6 pm on the 31st of January, 2009 for a two-week distribution of 4,000 bedkits in the Mumbai district.
The photo shows us at Toronto Pearson Airport.The plane was delayed leaving for one hour as we had to be "de-iced" before take-off as we left in the middle of a raging snow storm! We finally made it to our destination at 1.00 a.m on the 2nd of February (My - how time flies when you are having fun ...)
Later in the day we visited the "Gateway to India," opposite the Taj Mahal hotel - and you can see how happy we are to have escaped the cold.
Tuesday, the 3rd of February saw us doing two distributions: one in Mumbai central and the other in Chembur - a sample of our Bedkit is in the next photo. We were impressed with the quality of the items in the bedkit and have been delighted with the children who have been chosen to receive them.
We will keep you posted as the trip continues.
The Mumbai 2009 Team
Leave your comments here.
The photo shows us at Toronto Pearson Airport.The plane was delayed leaving for one hour as we had to be "de-iced" before take-off as we left in the middle of a raging snow storm! We finally made it to our destination at 1.00 a.m on the 2nd of February (My - how time flies when you are having fun ...)
Later in the day we visited the "Gateway to India," opposite the Taj Mahal hotel - and you can see how happy we are to have escaped the cold.
Tuesday, the 3rd of February saw us doing two distributions: one in Mumbai central and the other in Chembur - a sample of our Bedkit is in the next photo. We were impressed with the quality of the items in the bedkit and have been delighted with the children who have been chosen to receive them.
We will keep you posted as the trip continues.
The Mumbai 2009 Team
Leave your comments here.
Mumbai: Post your comments here
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Chennai: 567 Bedkits in Thiravullur
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| From Chennai Photo Album 2009 |
Wow! What a day!
We started our day with our second distribution of this trip. We travelled through busy Sunday morning traffic to Thiravullur where we were greeted by over 50 young volunteers - from the National Service, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Junior Red Cross - and the local welcoming committee which included Mr. Vanket, whose grandfather founded the school at which we were distributing.
After we were formally welcomed and each presented with a ceremonial necklace, we quickly set to work distributing 567 bedkits; in this task our job and process was pleasantly assisted by the young volunteers.
Having finished our distribution, we headed off to Vellore and the Golden Temple, enjoying a delightful traditional South Indian meal at a popular highway stop on the Chennai - Banlgadesh highway, hosted by our accompanying Ambattur Rotarians who explained our foods to us.
On our arrival in Vellore, we headed to the magnificent Golden Temple. The structure is incredible, recently completed with a long walkway on which the Amma's sayings are displayed. The temple itself is completely covered with gold. In the evening we attended a puja and had a personal audience with Sri Narayani Amma, the 33-year old founder of the Golden Temple. We will be spending the night at the retreat attached to the temple.
I must say, it was a unique way to spend my birthday.
Kathy Greiner
for Team Chennai 2009
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Chennai: 310 bedkits in Avadi
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| Kristein and new friend. From Chennai Photo Album 2009 |
I was lucky enough today to walk in my grandma's shoes and distribute bedkits with this very same man. 81 years old now, he was the man responsible for bringing SCAW to Chennai and still remembered my grandmother, Fletch Manning.
India has been very gracious to us since our arrival. The Avadi school prepared us a traditional breakfast consisting of Idli, Pongal, Vada, Red Chili Chutney, Green Chili Chutney, coconut Chutney, Sambhar and Mollaga Poole. This was delicious. They also provided us with 310 beautiful children and a group of senior high boys to help. What a great day!
I believe that nothing should be prized more than the value of a day!
Kristein Johnson
for Team Chennai 2009
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Kolkata: Blog #6
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| From Kolkata 2009 Photo Album |
Today we delivered our 6,500th bedkit. It was with mixed feelings that we finished our distribution. We will miss all the smiling faces of the children, but we are glad that we could help so many children. Now time for a little shopping and celebration with the Rotarians before we all part ways.
Thank you for following us on our journey. Keep an eye out for our newsletter!
Team Kolkata 2009
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Chennai: The team has arrived
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| Left to right: Tom Belton (Team Leader), Kathy Greiner, Jeff McDougall, Kristein Johnson, Mary Jo Lang, and Andy Greiner. From Chennai Photo Album 2009 |
After over 20 hours of flying, we arrived to the greetings of our Rotary hosts at the Chennai International airport at 12:30 AM local time. Having left behind the near blizzard conditions in Ontario, stepping off the plane into 30+ degree humid weather was a bit of a shock to us all.
So here we are enjoying our "relax day."
On behalf of the Team, I welcome all our friends and relatives along with the elementary students of Leo Bernabi School in Spencerport, New York and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha School in Orleans, Ontario, who will be following our trip as donors and strong supporters of SCAW. It is our aim each day to describe a summary of our activities, observations, and impressions of what we see, while trying to give all of you a snapshot view of India and the very important contribution SCAW performs here with the children who are so much in need. Each of our team will share their experiences on a rotating basis to give varied points of view.
Our first distribution takes place tomorrow when we go to Avadi, a suburb of Chennai and distribute 310 bedKits.
We hope you enjoy the experience with us.
Best wishes from us all.
Tom Belton
Team Leader, for Team Chennai 2009
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Chennai: Post Your Comments Here
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Kolkata: Blog #5
The Journey Continues ...
Travelling nearly 3000 km. over the last eleven days has truly provided an amazing adventure. Our driver, Tapan, has not only exhibited superior driving skills but has been a source of information on everything from identifying a flower to Indian culture. AND he found the women the ONLY western toilet outside of Kolkata!
Even when the van broke down the adventure continued. As the roadside mechanic came to our rescue, we visited the tiny temple next door where we learned a little more about the Hindu faith. All this as we drove to a very remote distribution where the children had been brought from small tribal villages. Very shy, they took time to respond to our attempts to play.
Yet another unique distribution could only be reached by river barge. The Bengal tigers we hoped to see enroute failed to appear! Children were ferried from the shore to the barge where they were dressed for pictures. Never phased, Irene managed the photographs on a tiny corner of the deck.
Bravo to the Rotarians whose 'outreach' initiatives have not only brought medical teams to these isolated islands, but, working with SCAW, they have provided nearly two hundred kids with bedkits.
Team Kolkata 2009
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Travelling nearly 3000 km. over the last eleven days has truly provided an amazing adventure. Our driver, Tapan, has not only exhibited superior driving skills but has been a source of information on everything from identifying a flower to Indian culture. AND he found the women the ONLY western toilet outside of Kolkata!
Even when the van broke down the adventure continued. As the roadside mechanic came to our rescue, we visited the tiny temple next door where we learned a little more about the Hindu faith. All this as we drove to a very remote distribution where the children had been brought from small tribal villages. Very shy, they took time to respond to our attempts to play.
Yet another unique distribution could only be reached by river barge. The Bengal tigers we hoped to see enroute failed to appear! Children were ferried from the shore to the barge where they were dressed for pictures. Never phased, Irene managed the photographs on a tiny corner of the deck.
Bravo to the Rotarians whose 'outreach' initiatives have not only brought medical teams to these isolated islands, but, working with SCAW, they have provided nearly two hundred kids with bedkits.
Team Kolkata 2009
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Kolkata: Blog #4
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| From Kolkata 2009 Photo Album |
As Team Kolkata travels to distributions around the city, we gain new insights into the Indian culture. Passing through Tangra, Kolkata's China Town, we learned that many in that community are leather workers. Their influence on Indian cuisine is evident as menus feature many traditional Chinese dishes.
Each day we hear touching stories from parents, teachers, and caregivers who bring children for bedkits. One such story was related to us from a woman whose group is working to educate sex trade workers -- 35 of their children receive bedkits. Many disadvantaged children have come to the distributions. We have seen the developmentally challenged and physically disabled, the blind and deaf, and albino children suffering from the intense hot climate. Each instance never fails to move us. We were equally touched when we visited Mother Theresa's Home for children. Our India experience only serves to renew our passion for SCAW and the hope it provides.
Team Kolkata 2009
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Kolkata: Blog #3
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| From Kolkata 2009 Photo Album |
We have finished up our 3-day road trip and have seen so much Indian culture throughout our time here. In Contai, the Rotary members enthusiastically sang their national anthem, and we responded with a wonderful rendition of O Canada. We had quite a touching moment when one little boy came late with his mother because he had just come from the hospital. After receiving his bedkit, he showed us each a sign of respect and appreciation when he knelt down and touched each of our feet. We were overwhelmed by this gesture of gratitude.
We continued to see wonderful glimpses of Indian culture at unexpected times. At Tata, some of the girls were moved inside, during a very hot day in order to keep them out of the sun. While inside, these girls entertained each other by performing local and tribal dances. The energy in the room was amazing, the dancing was beautiful, and their spontaneity was delightful.
We were introduced to the melodious sounds of the harmonium and the robust singing of a young student. He had a beautiful voice and his song showed yet another side of Indian culture. Throw in a bit of history at the Ghandi Museum at Barrackpore and it has been another interesting, successful, and educating day.
Team Kolkata 2009
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Kolkata: Blog #2
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| From Kolkata 2009 Photo Album |
Wrapped in warm hospitality, sustained by a wonderful variety of Indian food, and buoyed by the warm smiles of the children, Team Kolkata is right on schedule and going strong.
India continues to reveal amazing insights, but its most amazing assets are its kids. Some have been disabled, others of members of no written language, still others attend satellite schools in very remote villages. What they have in common is a bed in which to sleep.
A one hundred kilometre trek to the industrial city of Haldia provided a myriad of sights and sounds as we passed rice fields and small roadside markets amidst the incessant honking of horns. Our driver Tappan gave our novice members their first taste of skilled highway driving in "Indian" style.
Hopsitality from the Rotarians has been outstanding, both in the local Club of Dum Dum and in the other Partnering Clubs in the outlying regions.
Thanks to all our donors. Keep those bedkits coming.
Team Kolkata 2009
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Kolkata: Blog #1
Current Weather:
The Journey Begins ...After a flight of 24 hours the pilot announced that we would land in Kolkata in 20 minutes. Excitement and joy overcame us. To our dismay, we continued flying and after an hour or so we were informed that we could not land in Kolkata due to heavy fog.
Our first sights, sounds, and smells of India were in Hyderabad, 12,000 km away. We arrived in Kolkata 36 hours later after a resting sojourn in Hyderabad.
From the Kolkata Airport, after a warm reception from the Dum Dum Rotary Club, we travelled to our first distribution at a Methodist Church School. We were greeted by warm, smiling, and very patient children.
After the distribution, the principal toured our team through his school and we enjoyed the Rotarian's warm hospitality with fruit and cake. We then made our way to the our lodgings to settle in at our home away from home.
Team Kolkata 2009
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Kolkata: Reporting by telephone
Message received by telephone from Kolkata this morning.
The team wants you all to know that they have arrived safely and are proceeding with the distribution of 6,500 bedkits in Kolkata, India.
"We've got the blogs written but we can't get an Internet that works. We were wondering if you could put something on the blog for us telling everyone that we are fine and distributions are going well and we'll have some pictures and some written words for them as soon as we can get the Internet to work here.
"We're having a great time here in India except for the frustration of the Internet.
"God bless and talk to you later."
Ron King
for the Kolkata 2009 team
"We're having a great time here in India except for the frustration of the Internet.
"God bless and talk to you later."
Ron King
for the Kolkata 2009 team
As soon as more information arrives, we'll post it here.
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Kolkata: The team prepares
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This year, 2009, is our year of the millionth bedkit.Many teams are getting ready for our banner year. Here is the first.
In a photo taken in the SCAW headquarters living room this week, the Kolkata team gathers for a team photo: (Left to right}: Irene Harrison (Team Leader), Janet Wilson, Shannon Rourke, Jan Pearce, Ron King, and Mary Ann King.
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Kolkata: Post your comments here.
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