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Philippines: Mission Accomplished!
Sentimental last day of distributions, knowing that we soon head home.
Four children sang our national anthem today, one of the many kindnesses
shown by our overseas partners.
When the name OVO
(overseas volunteer organization) was changed to OVP, thus adding the
word partner, it must have been with the Philippines team in mind. I
told them that it should be the OPP - Overseas Professional Partners -
for the manner in which they organize the distribution.
A day of sightseeing tomorrow, prior to our 12 hour time zone flights to Beijing and on to Toronto.
Philippines: Interviewing Moms
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| The Team from Philippines 2013 |
| 1998 bedkit from Philippines 2013 |
| Our 1998 recipient from Philippines 2013 |
An unexpected surprise today was a young man who came to the distribution site who had gotten a bedkit in 1998. He brought what was left of his bedkit; a very worn mat and a well used blanket. He said the school supplies were the most useful. He has finished school and is now looking for a job . He wants to be an accountant and would go back to school if was able.
Shannon for Team Philippines 2013
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Philippines: Some Random Thoughts for Today
- What a privilege it is to listen to our national anthem sung while on the opposite side of the world.
- Good to see a label with a famous hockey name that is not Dryden.
- Our Overseas Partner in Honduras, the Rotary Club of Tecugicalpa donated a bedkit in today’s distribution.
- Lunch at Jollibee, the Philippines equivalent to McDonald’s with each cash register having a dozen patrons in line.
- The sun, with temperatures hovering on either side of 40 may be getting to the team as Team Leader Alan is losing control
- At the end of the day of 750 bedkits, the team broke out in songs from Oklahoma, perhaps an indication of their joy at being in rural settings for the day.
- Our octogenarian Enid has people telling her that she is cute, kids kissing her and volunteers giving directions to go to Grandma.
- Patti and Sharon appear to be competing to see which one can hug the most children.
- Rick who appears to be a foot taller than the rest of the team was playing basketball with the kids but was not playing fairly as he had a child on his shoulders which made for easy baskets.
- Chris snapping photos of everything that moves, come to think of it everything that doesn’t move – he must have a patient wife
| Dance Recital from Philippines 2013 |
| Happy Kids from Philippines 2013 |
| Kids going home with their bedkits from Philippines 2013 |
Philippines: Day 7
Students are on their summer break right now, however their
teachers returned to the school to assist the Kiwanians in organizing the
distribution. Not surprisingly with the efficiencies of both groups the
distribution was completed by 11 am. The early finish allowed us the
opportunity to visit classrooms. There was a universal request for children’s
books, used books being well received. Their encyclopedias were over 50 years
old. There must be some organization that can send books to areas that can
recycle them for many children wishing to improve their English skills.
In the afternoon the distribution took place on the grounds
of the former U.S. Clark Air Force base. Many of the recipients were indigenous
children from the neighbouring Pinatubo mountain area. This volcanic mountain
erupted in 1991 causing millions of dollars damage in the region.
3,750 bedkits have been distributed – sadly we are
recognizing that we are in the last half of our journey.
Team Philippines 2013
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Philippines: Day 6
No distributions were scheduled for today and as such Jess
Navarro, our Philippines host who is with us from morning to dusk, showed us the
highlights of Manila. We started at a Mother Teresa orphanage supported in part
by the Kiwanis members who have been of such great help to us in our
distributions. The staff displayed great care and compassion for the 65 special
needs children, many of whom were housed with 12 to a room.
Our Philippines partner, Dr. “Ito” Torres took us to Santo
Tomas University (older than any North American university) where he attended
medical school and then taught for many years. During the invasion of the
Philippines by the Japanese during WWII over 10,000 prisoners of war, including
Canadians, were kept here.
Other sights included the walled city Intramuros, the
Spanish Fort Santiago, the Rizal Monument (national hero of the Philippines), the
American War Cemetery, the Manila Hotel, hotel of choice for years for the
famous and the wide boulevards, parks and office towers that make up the
business area.
On our return to the hotel, we were brought back to the
purpose of our trip as we passed shanty areas and children who live on the
streets – such contrasts in a large metropolitan area.
Team Philippines 2013
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Philippines: Halfway Done!!
Our day started hot, then became hotter with a rapid rise in humidity as
we travelled to the town of Hagonoy north of Manila for our
distribution of 375 bed kits at the Saint Monica Elementary School.
Our
Kiwanis partners were as supremely organised as always, with a willing
band of volunteers from the local club helping move the children from
the changing rooms (where they receive some of the clothing from their
bedkit) on to the waiting area where they sort the children into the
various group sizes for their photograph.
The Canadian team
line the children up for their picture, after which the volunteer is
rewarded by every child when they raise your hand to their forehead for a
blessing and a whispered "salamat po." After this they scamper off to receive their bedkit.
A wonderful lunch was given in the school, with traditional Philippine foods, fresh shrimp, and fresh fruits.
With
3,000 children now with new clothing, bedding, a mosquito-net, and
school supplies we find ourselves halfway through this heartwarming
experience.
Team Philippines
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Philippines: Rock Star Treatment
A early start and driving through lots of traffic was the way we
started our day. We got through the city into a more country setting
passing by rice fields until we reached our destination of Balling . The streets were lined with parents and onlookers awaiting our
arrival. we set up and started our distribution in a school of 1100
students.
We finished in good time and were able to talk to volunteers and some local people who lived across the street from the school.The Philippean hospitality is second to none.
All of sudden we heard motorcycles in the school yard and were told they were for us as we were getting an escort to Paridel. The bikes wove through the street with us following . We were given a rock star reception as we reached our destination.
We quickly set up and started our task in a basket court with the bleachers full of enthusiastic kids.
Team Philippines
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We finished in good time and were able to talk to volunteers and some local people who lived across the street from the school.The Philippean hospitality is second to none.
All of sudden we heard motorcycles in the school yard and were told they were for us as we were getting an escort to Paridel. The bikes wove through the street with us following . We were given a rock star reception as we reached our destination.
We quickly set up and started our task in a basket court with the bleachers full of enthusiastic kids.
Team Philippines
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Philippines 2013: Our First Day!
We were pleased to have a tour of the site where the bed kits are
assembled and to see all of the fine contents that we would be giving to
375 children today. We completed our first distribution with great
success!
A super first day!!
Team Philippines 2013
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Our team, in conjunction with the experienced team of
Kiwanians, drove into the hills of Antipolo and braved the heat ( 37
degrees) while enjoying the rewards of watching the children carry away
their bed kits.
Team Philippines 2013
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Mumbai/Belgaum: Late blog from Yellapur
I can’t believe we were actually looking forward to
today. It was going to be a small
distribution of 200 bed kits in a beautiful Ashram setting and with a bit of
luck we would be home early enough to have a swim in the hotel pool. Our drive was just under two hours and as we
arrived and drove through the gates and saw the meditation temple and the
beautiful garden and children patiently waiting that this would be a smooth
operation. How wrong we were! We had barely started, when we heard children
screaming and saw them running in all directions. A swarm of aggressive bees had entered the
Ashram, so much for peace and tranquility, and was attacking children, parents
and volunteers and then us. Any thoughts
of trying to maintain any order vanished and we ran for cover. Children were
crying and many of us sustained multiple bee stings. Jim at least twenty; Kirsten had several on
her back and a painful one on her eyebrow.
Allison who has a basic fear of bugs was rightly terrified and had a
nasty sting on her lip. Even Bill was
among the wounded as a bee stung the top of his head. In the thick of it the scene resembled a bad
horror movie. Helen and I were
relatively unscathed and it was a good thing as Helen was able to lead the
children into the safety of the Ashram main hall. Our original set up was decimated and even an
investigation of our original area produced another sting for Jim so Bill
decided we would change the location and set up closer to shelter if the bees
returned. Kids had fled just seconds
before receiving their bed kit and we had to find them before we could start a
recount. We had to relocate the bed kits
and thankfully Manju, our driver took over that task. We also had help from the seasoned Belgaum
Rotarians and even though it seemed to take forever we were set to go once
again with the bed kit tally matching our records. We had scores of people
giving water to the children and helping count and compare with the master
list until Bill was satisfied we could continue. It really did not take that
long to finish and thankfully all the numbers matched at the end of the
day. We had an excellent lunch in the
dining area of the Ashram and posed for multiple photos before boarding the van
and heading for Hubl.
The one significant bright spot of this day was meeting a
lovely lady and her son who we thought was one of the many volunteers. We were later told her story, her son had been a recipient of a bed kit 3
years ago and she and her son wanted to donate their time to help with the
distribution as a way of giving back for receiving the bed kit that helped
their lives. Her son in still in school
and is interested in art and hopes to pursue a career in that area.
There is always a bright side to everything . By us being determined to pick up the pieces,
to be creative, make a new plan and complete the distribution our team brought
back the smiles to the 200 children in Yellapur. Not to mention the joy of
meeting a past recipient who is doing well and is still grateful and has benefited from one Canadian donor who wrote a check to Sleeping Children
Around The World.
Mumbai/Belgaum: Almost Done!
The
distribution is not quite complete though. Our OVPs will be handing out
63 more bedkits in the next week when the bedkits are received from
Mumbai. Manjunath will advise them about the set up and taking pictures.
The OVPs will then post them to us to complete the distribution. Once
that is done, there will be 7,000 children whose lives will have been
improved in this area of India thanks to the SCAW donors.
Mumbai/Belgaum: Elephants, Camels and Horses
We conducted our southerly most
distribution today in the city of Ranebennur. It was held in an elementary
school that was ideally laid out to ensure that the distribution went smoothly.
One of the Rotarians was a retired aerospace engineer who had work on the
Indian space program in Bangalore until he retired last year. He now volunteers
his time as an educator, mentor and counselor for young people in the
Ranebennur area. One of his recent projects was to hold a space exhibition in
that city so that 7,000 school children could learn about space and India’s
involvement in the final frontier. He was also a great help during the
distribution today, ensuring that things went as smooth as possible.
The area of Ranebennur is also known for
its cotton fields and associated industries. It was also an area where we saw
numerous herds of horses, something that we had not seen until today. Another
unusual sight on the way back to the hotel was an elephant that was tied up
along the side of the road. Due to the rush hour traffic we could not stop to
take pictures of it, but it was evidently being used to give rides to those
people who were willing to pay to do so. It was similar to the camels that were
giving rides to the citizens of Belgaum last Sunday.
We only have three distributions to go.
Tomorrow we are off to the Ashram at Yellapur, about 3.5 hours south west of
Hubli.
Mumbai/Belgaum: Nagamma
So today was a large distribution day, however I believe the team had a sigh of relief knowing that we have done 1200, so 900 can be done. Our distribution was set in the city of Hubli, so travel time was only about 10 minutes, allowing us to get an early start. We were told by Rotarians, that it is hotter in Hubli, so beginning in the morning was important. They were right, by afternoon we were at 34 degrees, and not a bit of breeze. Definitely a hot day today.
Our distribution was
set up nicely, with the kids doing a full circle. I spent part of the distribution following a
little girl to show an example of how the distributions are run. Her name is
Nagamma. Nagamma is 10 years old and in the 3rd
grade. She lives in a village around
Hubli.
The distribution begins with families, and schools congregating at the distribution site. They are kept out of the compound while Rotarians sort through the identification cards they have distributed. One by one children are let into the compound to line up. This distribution was different in the sense that a parent accompanied the child through part of the process to take their belongings.
Nagamma and her mother came through the gate, and her id card was again checked by the Rotarians at a station, and given coupons for some of the items she was to receive.
She and her mother
then moved on pick up a sweater, her new dress and petticoat, sandals, and a
raincoat. This is where the coupons came in.
Just a note on the dress, each child receives two outfits in their kit,
one they wear, and one in the bag. All
clothing is tailored by a man from Belgaum named Ramesh, who feels it is
important to attend every distribution to ensure children are properly fitted.
Nagamma and her mother then go into the girls change room to put on her pretty new dress. After she is dressed she will go to a holding room, where she is called to line up for the photo, again once the Id ticket has been checked.
At this point, mom is
led out, again accounted for, and she will pass through to have her photo
taken. Children are arranged for their
photo, and effort to have equal boys and girls in the photo is given. The team then pays special attention to
detail, ensuring the girls dresses are fluffed, hair is in place, boys shirts
are tucked, and they are seated nicely.
I think the girls enjoy this, having a little pampering never hurts
anyone.
Once the photo is taken, a mark will be placed on her finger to show that a bedkit has been received. A big smile appears as she is made aware of what she is being given. Mom is there at the gate to meet her.
She will sleep happy tonight.
Love the children
Kristein for Team Mumbai/Belgaum
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Mumbai/Belgaum: Hubli
We had another big day, 900 bed kits, but the good news was that the site was only 15 minutes away. So it was still cool when we arrived and the heat of the Hubli sun had not intensified. All the pictures were of 10 children so we felt even though we had lots of bed kits to give out the process would go smoothly. The reality is that there are always a few hiccups at the start and once they are sorted out and we figure out our role and that of the many volunteers everything seems to develop into a sort of an efficient rhythm.
Today was also a true Rotarian success story. Simultaneously with the SCAW distribution an
“Eliminate Polio” event was being carried on at the same time in the same
location. What a remarkable contribution
Rotary Clubs make to the health of the children of India.
Pat Corlett for Team Mumbai/Belgaum
Mumbai/Belgaum: Bailhongal
Our journey began today with a check out of the hotel at
Belgaum, it can be a bit sad, considering a person does tend to get to know the
staff at the hotel.
We drove for about an hour and a half to the city of Bailhongal
to distribute 400 bedkits. Again we
arrived at a well organized distribution site, where children were excited to
see us, and ready for the day to begin.
Our help was probably the best we have seen yet. We were assisted by young military students,
both boys and girls. There were at least
25 of them, helping sort cloths, sweaters, raincoats, sandals, as well as the
other jobs.
One student stuck out for all of us. She was the Sergeant for the girls squad, and
definitely headed towards success. She
could lead a country, or certainly assist women to with empowerment in India.
With her at the camera with Bill, the children were seated, set up, and smiling
within seconds. This allows the
distribution to go quickly, and reduce the time that they are sitting in the
heat. Awesome day.
We then drove another 2 – 2.5 hours into our final hotel at
Hubli. Greeted with a great welcome from
a Rotarian and his wife, we settled in.
3 of us took a rickshaw down to the local mall for some shopping at
FabIndia, as well as finding the Indian version of Walmart. We then all headed out with the Rotarians to
experience this areas local food. We
were served up on a banana leaf with a vegetarian meal. It was a treat to have someone provide us with
the experience. Once dinner was done, we
went to a tiny shop where they prepare a leaf with various thing in it, roll
it up, and eat it. It assists with
digestion. Ours contained sweet fruit
preserves, as well as rose peddles. It
wasn’t necessarily my taste, but I still go home with the experience of
it. I will ask today the name of this
treat, and blog it again.
The count is down, 5 distributions to go.
Allison for Team Mumabi/Belgaum
Mumbai/Belgaum: Silver Anniversary Celebration
We handed out a record 1,200 bedkits to
needy children in the Belgaum area on the day that the Rotary Club of Belgaum
celebrated its 25th anniversary of its partnership with SCAW.
We arrived at a private club that hosted
the distribution in its gardens at 7:30 a.m. where the gates that we had to
enter by were jammed hundreds of parents already. It took a while for the local
Rotarians to clear the way for us, and once inside the grounds, we were greeted
like rock stars by the waiting children. Their cheers and clapping reached a
crescendo when we showed them what they were going to receive in their bedkits.
The children were fed a hearty breakfast
that had been donated by the Potdar family, which they have done for the past
few years. Once done, the well organized distribution proceeded flawlessly
thanks to the excellent support of all the members of the Belgaum Rotary Club,
the ladies of the Inner Wheel and other family relations. In recognition of the
25th anniversary of the partnership with SCAW, the Rotary Club also donated
a battery operated LED lamp that would light up a 10’ x 12’, which would
provide ample lighting for the children to do their homework because most of
their villages do not have electricity.
The team returned to the hotel to
freshen up prior to the Silver Anniversary celebrations that evening. Dilip Chitnis, (SCAW Trust Chairman), Sanjay
Kulkarni (Treasurer), and Jeevan Khatav (AV
Specialist) had organized the celebration. It included speeches by the Rotary
District Governor Dr. Jorson Fernandez, the SCAW Team Leader Bill Sergeant and
an emotional recorded video message by Duncan Macgregor. Dr Fernandez speech
talked about the major accomplishments of Rotary in India, in particular with
making India polio free for the last two years, as well as the benefits of SCAW
to the most needy in their society. He challenged the members of the Belgaum
Rotary to research and document what has happened to the recipients of the
bedkits from 18 – 25 years ago. He wanted to publicize the impact on those
recipients of having received a bedkit. One successful example cited was Amin
Sheikh in Mumbai. Presentations of flowers were then made to the SCAW team and
in return, the Rotary Club President was presented with a framed, signed letter
by Dave Dryden and commemorative book that documented the history of the
Belgaum distribution from 1988 to 2013. Dilip Chitnis was then presented with a
Fanta orange pop and a kazoo by the team on behalf of Duncan Macgregor in his
absence.
The celebration included the presentation
of several floral arrangements to the SCAW team from representatives of the
outlying Rotary Clubs who host distributions. The 25th Anniversary
cake was then cut and the national anthems of India and Canada were sung.
The evening concluded in style with a
delicious Indian meal and great conversation about past distributions. Many of
the original members of the SCAW Trust from 1988 were present and reminisced
about the four-person team that Laura Harper led on that initial distribution.
They also talked about going to Hubli to learn about how to run a distribution
from an OVP perspective. Ironically, the tables are turned today and it is the
Belgaum Club that is providing the expertise and advice to the other clubs who
are organizing the distributions.
Bill Sergeant for Team Mumbai/Belgaum 2013
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We left the hotel before 7:30 this morning for the 10 minute drive to a recreation complex in Belguam. As we turned onto the street where the gates of the complex were located, we noticed that the street was already jammed with parents trying to get close to see their children.
Once inside the gates we were given a great welcome by approximately 300 children that were already there waiting for us. We got things setup and by 9AM were ready to start the distribution.
This was the 25th anniversary of the first Belgaum distribution and the Rotary Club were there in full force to help make this went as smoothly as possible. The venue was setup really well with no chance of kids crossing lines and getting out of sequence.
All too soon it was done. We were having such a good time that we could have kept going for a couple more hours, which would be about the amount of time we all thought that we would be there anyway.
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Belgaum for making this such a great experience, and thanks to all the extremely generous people who donated bedkits for this historic distribution.
Tonight we are going to a 25th anniversary celebration with the Rotary Club and I am sure that someone on the team will be bloging about that later.
Jim Howley for Team Mumbai/Belguam 2013
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Mumbai/Belgaum: Ramdung
In this blog I
fully intended to describe todays distribution in Ramdung and tell you
all about the almost 3 hour journey it took us to get there. You would
of read about little villages waking up, children getting dressed in
their school uniforms and farm workers making their way across the sugar
fields to start the day. I also was going to mention the interesting
fortress which dates back to the years
when Britain ruled India.
Something else that
will stay with me for a very long time is a remark one of the mothers
made to me during today's interviews. The interpreter told me the
mother wanted to be sure that we realized that " It would take me an
entire year to earn the money to buy all these things for her family and
now she can use her money for food."
Today's interviews were done
with three
mothers who came into the room together with a female interpreter from
Rotary. When we all sat in a circle and discussed the bedkit contents
the conversation developed I could feel a connection building. Besides
having the opportunity to check the contents with the user these
interviews at times generate a connection between the woman and
hopefully foster mutual support. All together it was an amazing day.
Mumbai/Belgaum: Nipani
A unique feature of the Belgaum distribution are the dresses for
the 12 year old girls. The Saris are beautiful and the girls can't stop
smiling and looking at them - a WOW moment for each of them!

One of the unsung heroes during the past 5 years has been our driver, Manjunath. "Manju", as we often call him, has been with the past 5 SCAW Teams in the Belgaum SCAW distributions (2009-2013). But, he is much more than our driver! He steps in and does any job where there is a position to fill during a distribution. Every year, we ask that Manju be with the SCAW Team and every year he shows up at the airport to greet us! It takes a lot of people to successfully host a SCAW distribution. We are blessed to have Manju as one of those people.
Duncan Macgregor
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