Mumbai: Day 6 — Thane & Navi

We started our distribution at Thane where we gave out bedkits to 240 children. A number of them were deaf and mute. We learned how to sign a few words of importance such as "Smile" and Thank you." The children were great and full of excitement. Later we saw them waving goodbye, crammed into an old school bus. There were approximately 75-100 children along with the bedkits in the bus.

Our second distribution for the day was at Navi Mumbai, a school that holds 4,000 children. At one end of the school they were holding a local talent show where they were doing many styles of dance from Indian classical dance, Bollywood, to rap. It was being filmed for a local TV station. Crowd control was easy for us because people were enjoying the local talent.

The distribution was well organized even though it was a Sunday. Everyone showed up and we had lots of help including many students. Before we left, they presented us with a flower arrangement to thank us for our efforts. The principal of the school was so impressed with SCAW and our work that the school is going to create a similar program to help other children in need.

Tomorrow we have a 2 1/2-3 hour drive to our distributions in Manor and Palghar. Stay tuned ... and keep the good wishes and comments coming. We love hearing from you.

Signing out ...

The Mumbai 2009 Team

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Chennai: 651 bedkits at T. Nagar

From Chennai Photo Album 2009

We travelled to T. Nagar to an all-girls private school to distribute 651 bedkits to children who came from 40 different locations close to Chennai.

Most of these children came from parents who themselves are uneducated (i.e., no schooling at all!) and 271 of the children were coastal children who would have suffered the effects of the tsunami.

And as possibly everywhere in the world, kids are kids. Some getting their photos taken smiled, some giggled, some cried, some engaged us with their knowledge of English, some were stoic and some were really interested in eyeing that bedkit, knowing it would be theirs before day's end.

All in all, a great day, despite the 34 degree temperature.

Kristein Johnson
for Team Chennai 2009

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Mumbai: Day 5 — 350 bedkits in Bhandup/Mulund

From Mumbai 2009 Photo Album

Arriving at Bhandup/Mulund we were greeted with a drum and bugle band along with two rows of girls in native costumes moving to the beat with a tamborine type instrument called a "ledge um."

We proceeded through the group of girls and took our seats on stage to be entertained. The girls danced and moved together first with flags in their hands displaying their team work and choreography. The second group of girls used the "ledge ums" doing a native Indian dance. We felt very honored. It was very humbling.

Todays distribution was 350 bed kits. It was a great day.

The Mumbai 2009 Team

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Chennai: Nellore Report

From Chennai Photo Album 2009

Up at 5:00 a.m. and off at 6:00 a.m., this time by cars as it cost 3,000 Rupees in each direction across a State boundary for our bus. We cleared the city without much delay and embarked on our trip traveling north on a four-lane highway. The highway was as good as you find at home. That, however, is where the similarities end. The highway was thronged with all kinds of conveyances: lorries big and small, cars, buses, oxcarts, motorbikes, bicycles, motorized rickshaws — you name it. For a so-called high-speed highway there were times when the traffic moved anything but high speed. This blend of vehices sure made our driver keep on this toes and aware of his surroundings.

We arrived at Nellore at 10:30 a.m. to the greetings of the local organizing hosts, several city policemen, and scores of people. A red carpet was laid out for us to walk along to the building where our greeting was to be held. Young school girls lined the walkway, throwing flower petals over us in the traditional greeting. They were delighted to see us and made us feel like visiting Royalty.

Once inside, we saw the children all dressed in their SCAW clothing. To their deafening cheers, we mounted the stage to be greeted by the local dignitaries. Every newsman and photographer in Nellore must have been there: a phalanx literally covered the front of the auditorium we were in.

Then the entertainment began. Four beautifully dressed young girls, the youngest about 3 or 4 years old, dressed in traditional Indian culture dress, danced to loud music. It was very enjoyable for all of us to sit and watch.

Then the distribution began again, accompanied by the newsmen and photographers. There were so many that we had to hold a special photo session to allow them to "shoot" their required pictures and then leave us alone to do our work.

After the distribution, the girls at the nearby Girls Academy invited us to visit the exhibitions they had been preparing for our visit for over one month. Each classroom was a special lab, prepared to show some of the many learning activities they are involved in. They showed off their self-prepared wares for:

• Religion,
• Green Plant Management,
• Horticulture,
• Crafts,
• Clothes Manufacturing,
• Cooking and Baking,
• Nursing and Wellness.

On the second floor there were more displays depicting the core studies program such as:

• Social Studies,
• Law Enforcement,
• English Language,
• Their own Teluga Language,
• Hindu Language,
• Mathematics,
• Biology,
• Geography,
• Digestive Systems,
• Space,
• Music and Dance.

We were all amazed to see the detail and extremely high quality of the students' presentations. Some of our hosts wanted to push us along so we could go to a luncheon that was awaiting us, but the Team Leader sure put a stop to that! How could we waste such a well-prepared thing such as this? We spent close to one hour going into the classrooms and examining the unique displays. It truly was inspiring.

The young girls, aged 12-15 years of age were so happy that we took the time to visit them. Their excitement and honest inquisitiveness were a delight.

Afterwards, we proceeded to the home of one of our sponsors/hosts for a sumptuous lunch. Drinks, traditional Indian cuisine, and some Westernized dishes left us "fully" satisfied. At 5:30 we headed back down the highway most grateful for one full day and the 400 children who were beginning to settle down in their new beds for the first time.

Tom Belton
for Team Chennai 2009

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Mumbai: Day 4 — Vasai & Bhiwandi

Grace & bedkit recipients in Bhiwandi. Click for larger version in Mumbai 2009 Photo Album

Today we visited Vasai and Bhiwandi and distributed approximately 400 bedkits to the children.

We travelled 1.5 hours to Vasai this morning passing many interesting sights along the way. We saw brick manufacturing sites which had workers out in the field mixing the compounds and carrying bricks on their heads. We also saw local cattle, goats, sheep, and dogs wandering freely throughout the community.

We were greeted by the Rotary Club members and given traditional "har" which are similar to hawaiian leis. We felt very welcomed and as though our work was really contributing to their community. They were very thankful.

Our drivers mentioned that the area was 70% Muslim and 30% Hindi. It is apparently common in larger centers to have a diverse mix of these two religions living together.

The children were a pleasure and very well behaved, which seems to be the case at each school we visit. It is amazing that, though we don't speak the same language, we are able to communicate with a simple smile. Sometimes the simplest things can create the greatest impact.

Tomorrow we are off to Bhandup/Mulund and Dombivli to distribute over 300 bedkits.

More to come ...

The Mumbai 2009 Team

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Chennai: 342 bedkits in Porur

From Chennai Photo Album 2009

February 4

We went to Porur today and distributed 342 bedkits. The event was organized at the school by Round Table 94, a service organization consisting of people under 40 years of age. They focus on fundraising for school facilities for poor children, defined as family income of about $2 per day or less. The service group also builds the school facilities.

The children at the Porur school were already dressed in their SCAW uniforms and as soon as we stepped into their classrooms, they stood up from their sitting position on the floor and greeted us in English, very enthusiastically. A bunch of high school students were assisting us in distributing the bedkits. Interestingly, the current president of Round Table 94 is an immigration advisor, working with a Canadian immigration lawyer, serving clients in the Chennai area, who are trying to immigrate to Canada.

We took advantage of some spare time we had to go shopping, to walk along the beach and visit the Church of St. Thomas, one of three churches worldwide built on the tomb of one of the Apostles. The other two churches are in Rome and in Spain.

Andy Greiner
for Team Chennai 2009

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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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Chennai: 681 children in Kumaran Mahal

From Chennai Photo Album 2009

Tuesday, February 3

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.

From Chennai Photo Album 2009

One of the women was doing the final test for a car's lighting and horn systems, while others worked at circuit boards, and the last two ladies we saw worked together, one cutting pieces of scotch tape, the other rolling cardboard pieces about 1 inch long to a specific diameter then taping the cylinder, and tossing it into the box - to be used, I suppose, to protect a screw of that dimension when the product is sent to Tata Engineering or the other car part makers involved.

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

From Mumbai 2009 Photo Album

Today we visited schools in Andheri and West Coast Mumbai to distribute 230 bed kits. The drive took one hour and a half due to dense traffic which was an adventure in itself. Cars, people, and animals coming at us in various directions that made driving a challenge.

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.

From Mumbai 2009 Photo Album

The teachers open the school early each morning so that when the children walk down this road they know that it is safe to do so. At the end of the distribution a Rotary member invited us home for a wonderful lunch, The scenery was spectacular. We enjoyed coconut water and fruit before leaving.

More to come ...

The Mumbai 2009 Team

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Chennai: Two distribution sites today

Singing the alphabet. From Chennai Photo Album 2009

February 2, 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 31^st 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 2^nd 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 3^rd 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

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Chennai: 567 Bedkits in Thiravullur

From Chennai Photo Album 2009

February 1, 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

Kristein and new friend. From Chennai Photo Album 2009

I have looked forward to a distribution in India since I was young and listened to my grandmother's stories of her trip to India with SCAW. She was a part of the first distribution in 1981 with Rtn. V.R. Janardhanam.

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

From Kolkata 2009 Photo Album

The Journey Comes to a Close

Today we delivered our 6,500^th 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

Left to right: Tom Belton (Team Leader), Kathy Greiner, Jeff McDougall, Kristein Johnson, Mary Jo Lang, and Andy Greiner. From Chennai Photo Album 2009

Greetings from Chennai.

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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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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Kolkata: Blog #4

From Kolkata 2009 Photo Album

The Journey Continues ...

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: 2009 Photo Album