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Philippines: Snapshot of a recipient's home life

From Philippines 2010
Sean Michael is an 8 year old boy in Grade Two who received a bedkit recently at the rural San Mateo distribution site. His father, Mr. M, (pictured at right) who participated in SCAW's parent survey, spoke briefly about his family's situation.

Mr. M, who himself completed high school, and attended a college program for a while, had to drop out before finishing, for financial reasons. He then worked for a while as a Manila taxi driver, but gave it up due to the hazards of the job. Now back in the rural area, he is only seasonally employed.

His son, Sean Michael, is one of four children, aged six to twelve, living in the family's humble accomodations. Sean Michael also has an older brother living outside the family home. Sean Michael's younger sib has a hole in his heart, as yet untreated.

The four children and two parents share the family bed, which is a sheet of foam on the hard floor. They share one government-issued untreated mosquito net. They also have a sitting room where they enjoy watching TV. Last fall they lost the roof of their house during some high winds. Mr M had to borrow money from his sister to rebuild the roof but, unfortunately, the water still gets into the house.

Money remains tight in the household and, for instance, Mr M cannot always afford to buy his growing children shoes when they need them. Mr. M was very grateful to SCAW and the Canadian donors who help provide some necessities for his son.

Marsha Hardy
for SCAW 2010 Philippines Team

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Uganda: 4,000 bedkits distributed!

From Uganda Day 7
The team would like to thanks all the donors, the Pinehurst house volunteers, and our friends and families for all the support that makes a trip like this even possible.

We are now two thirds completed with the distribution and are thrilled to have seen the joy in the children’s faces. We are just a wee bit sad to know it is almost over.

We are definitely making the most of each and every day.

See more of today's pictures in the Photo Album

SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: Cute doesn’t even begin to describe it!

Today we travelled out of the capital (Kampala) to the eastern region of Uganda. We did a distribution in Jinja and then we were able to do a boat tour of the source of the Nile.

The team sends our best to those of you following the blog. Not much else to say today -- but check out our cute kids!!!!

We will continue our journey east for the next four nights. Stay tuned!

SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: Bump, Bump, Bumpy

From Uganda Photos 2010
The Uganda team now knows well where the words to a verse in “the wheels on a bus” came from … the people on our bus definitely go up and down with each bump.

Certainly a challenging part of our trip is travelling from site to site. There are few paved roads and when we do take them we are likely to get into the “jam” (traffic backups) or encounter potholes so frequently and so deep that it often feels like we are in a slalmon course.
As we depart from the paved roads and venture to the red dirt roads of Uganda, we really get to experience the Ugandan travel experience. The dirt roads have been particularly bumpy this year due to the rains. With little or no storm water management infrastructure, they are compromised by extensive erosion. Our distribution sites have been planned closer to the main road this year in order to enable access for our bus and the lorry that carries the bedkits.

We share the road not only with people and vehicles but also with livestock (cattle and goats). It is an amazing site to see children shepherding their flock along some main roads. Quite often it is with a smile and intense concentration.

As with all roads in Uganda there is always constant movement. Whether this movement be cars, lorries, people walking or riding, the people here are definitely “on the move” regardless of the absence of a smooth ride.

SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Philippines: What a difference

From Philippines 2010
The donors can feel that they have made a difference in the lives of four young people! Four former recipients returned today.

Gloribel Dariano, a '99 recipient is a 2007 high school graduate and has completed one year in an I.T. program at university. She has been a volunteer teacher for a year and next month will start teaching 5- to 8-year-old students at a school in town.

"JOYFUL" was the feeling expressed by Ronahan Navarro, also a '99 recipient, the first night with her bedkit when she was in grade one. High marks in high school have led her to a Bible School scholarship. Her goal is to teach in missionary work.

Robinson Serrato was in grade two when he received his bedkit. His first night was "RESTFUL" and he has now graduated from college in a computer science program. He wants to be the best teacher in his prep. school teaching "basic school training."

Success comes in many ways. A fourth recipient came for a brief time but had to leave to go to his job some distance away.

These four young people walked and spoke with confidence. The donors made a difference and our team felt that our mission was worthwhile.

Frank Best
for SCAW 2010 Philippines Team

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Uganda: Our Culinary Journey

From Uganda Photos 2010
One of the many interesting things we are able to experience is the traditional food of Uganda. The country is full of diverse crops and livestock and our Oversea Volunteers ensure we are able to sample as many of the choices as possible.

As we travel to the distribution sites we see “maize” (corn), bananas, sweet potatoes, “irish” potatoes, “pumpkin” (squash) and so many other crops.

The team definitely has some favourites however:
  • Debbie has a fondness for the matoke (in the plantain family & pictured at left), specifically when it is twice cooked (first steamed, then wrapped in banana leaves and baked over a wood fire) with ground nuts (a purple peanut sauce). There are photos of the preparation of matoke in our Uganda Photo Album
  • Sieg would like to highly recommend the goat.
  • Diane can’t believe how sweet the pineapple tastes.
  • Jenny is a big fan of the “chips” but is thinking of venturing out to the grasshopper realm … stay tuned.
  • Laurie is captivated by the specially prepared chicken, which is steamed wrapped in banana leaves with tomato, curry powder, onions, and so much more. This dish is called Luwombo.
  • Nancy looks forward to the wonderful rice preparations.
  • The entire team can’t get enough of the avocado!
We always look forward to the next meal!

SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Philippines: The team has arrived

From Philippines 2010
We received a brief series of notes from the Philippines team.
  • Tomorrow is day one of our distribution.
  • Ready to go on Friday with our first 700 bedkits.
  • 6,000 bedkits fill an entire three-bedroom house.
  • Assembly plant is under a leanto in the back yard.
  • What a wonderful friend we have in Dr Ito and his family.
  • More later.

In the photo are the Philippines travelling team with Dr. Ito, our OVO leader and some of the 6,000 stored bedkits. (Left to right) Dr. Ito, Tom Chudleigh (Team Leader), Joyce Foster, Frank Best, Margaret Garrett, Marsha Hardy, Sally Jo Martin.

Margaret Garrett & Tom Chudleigh
for SCAW 2010 Philippines Team

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Uganda: Sheka

“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”

Today was our third day of distributions, and we wanted to share our smile words:
  • Sheka (pronounced Shake-ah) means to laugh and smile (singular)
  • Musheke (pronounced Moo-shake-ee) means to laugh and smile (pural)
Here are a few of our smile pictures!

SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: Stark Contrasts

From Uganda Photos 2010
We are now a quarter way through our journey. We have had the pleasure of meeting 1,500 beautiful Ugandan children. The team had a great (but long) day distributing 1,000 bedkits in two districts: Mpigi and Kampala.

Sir Franicis Bacon said: “In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."

We encounter the very same each and every day.

We see so many children in need, yet there is a light and joy of life not often experienced in the western world. The peoples here hold each and every healthy day here so dear and it is in each day’s contrast that the beauty of Uganda is so clearly seen:
From Uganda Photos 2010
  • The vibrant red dirt, the whitest of white shirt.
  • Unimaginable heat, beautiful deep green vegetation.
  • Difficult infrastructure, while supporting a sea of movement (people walking, riding, driving).
  • A pair of mismatched shoes …
Nancy Holt
for SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: The Inner Wheel of Kampala

From Uganda Photos 2010
Today was our first distribution and it was a great experience. However, we couldn’t do it alone.

For each distribution, the SCAW team is paired up with an Overseas Volunteer Organization. Team Uganda has been paired with the Inner Wheel of Kampala for seventeen years. The Inner Wheel is made up of service-minded women who donate money and raise awareness about important issues in their community.

Each year, this team of women has taken SCAW under their wing and been an important force in making sure each distribution happens. One main job that the Inner Wheel has is determining which children receive bedkits and what items make up the bedkit.

From Uganda Photos 2010
This year, their task was 6,000 children and $35 (CDN). They found discounts on items and managed to get nineteen items for $35. In addition to these tasks, they secure transportation, do a financial report, select distribution sites, and they still have time to do other positive things in their communities.

Some of the things that they have done include paying school fees for children, building a protected well, donating money to hospitals and schools, giving out wheelchairs, and informing other people on HIV/AIDS. We are incredibly lucky to be partnered with this wonderful group of women.

Laurie Guay
for SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: The whole team is here

From Uganda Photos 2010
The whole team has arrived!

Pictured (Left to Right) is the SCAW Uganda 2010 Travelling Team: (Back Row) Nancy Holt, Sieg Will & Debbie Will-Dryden (Team Leaders). (Front Row) Jenny Simpson, Diane Warkentin, Laurie Guay.

Nancy arrived this afternoon and we all attended our predistribution meeting at a beautiful estate in the hills of Uganda.

We are looking forward to meeting 500 Ugandan children tomorrow morning!

Debbie Will-Dryden
for SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: Getting ready in Kampala

From Uganda Photos 2010
Today we visited the manufacturing facilities for the school uniforms included in the bedkit. The manufacturing takes place in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and employs mainly single mothers and student apprentices learning the trade. They have a high turnover rate as many of the women save their money, purchase their own sewing machines, and start their own businesses.

We also visited the homes of three former bedkit recipients. It was very emotional for us all.

From Uganda Photos 2010
We saw how very few possessions each recipient had and how their bedkits had weathered so well. One young teen boy told us how he had received his bedkit in 2007 and with an emotion-choked voiced claimed it "one of the highlights of his life."

Another recipient now lives with her grandmother and twenty-four other grandchildren as the parents have all died of AIDS. Another lives with her grandmother and struggles with being a parapalegic in Uganda society.

It was a day that made us all eager to get to the work of distributing the bedkits!

Debbie Will-Dryden
for SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: The team is assembling

A brief email arrived this afternoon
Just wanted to let you know that 5 of the 6 team members have safely arrived in Uganda. Jenny, Laurie, Di, Sieg, and I left on Wednesday and Nancy arrives on Sunday. Will update with photos once we begin our work tomorrow.

Debbie Will-Dryden
for SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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Uganda: Post your comments here

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