Togo: Our Day in Pictures!

Our Welcome in Kewome:

Our Welcome from Togo 2013

Our Welcome from Togo 2013

Our Team at Work:

 

Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013

Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013

Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013

Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013

Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013

 

Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013

 Half-Way There!

Half-Way There from Togo 2013

We Will All Sleep Well Tonight!!

 

We will all sleep well tonight!! from Togo 2013

Team Togo 

Post your comments here:

Togo: Home Visits

Luckily the downpour that occurred at breakfast did not follow us into the mountains 150 KM from Lome.

It was another successful distribution with 500 cheering children.

Following the distribution we were able to visit the homes of two of the 2012 bedkit recipients.

The tiny homes were immaculately kept.

The mosquito nets were in place and standing up well.  Both boys were home for lunch and one had to be called from the soccer field ...  his favourite pastime.

They showed us their exercise books and we were impressed with the quality of their school work.

Both boys loved going to school and hoped they could continue right through to university.

It is obvious that the bedkit is a valuable asset to their education with the inclusion of the school uniform, back pack and school supplies.

Team Togo 2013

Post your comments here: 

Togo Day 4: Judy is pooped!

"Action Enfance et Developpment" is truly an extraordinary SCAW partner.  Each distribution runs like clockwork because of the capable and enthusiastic support from a host of Togolese volunteers. 

From Togo 2013

While we work hard, we also have time to absorb Togolese culture and interact with this wonderfully welcoming and friendly people.  Following yesterday's distribution, we were led on a tour of the village by the chief , with all the children of the village chattering happily in tow.  At the end of the tour, we were presented with a huge basket of fresh fruit.  Organic at its best.  We piled into the van and returned home quite late ...  a 12 hour day.

From Togo 2013

From Togo 2013

From Togo 2013

From Togo 2013

From Togo 2013

From Togo 2013

From Togo 2013

From Togo 2013

 

We quickly gathered up our equipment from the back of the van hoping to make short shrift of our evening meeting and preparations for the following day. Judy reached for the last bag which holds the labels.

We all were stunned to find another gift from the village .....  2 terrified chickens under the seat.

Needless to say they had done what frightened chickens do best and Judy's arm was glaring proof!

From Togo 2013

And since we are on that subject, we must describe our bathroom facilities at each distribution .... 

a sparkling white North American toilet which is installed at the distribution everyday over a hole with charcoal and surrounded by a bamboo enclosure for privacy.  It seems a previous team wished for a toilet and because our partners try to make life as easy as possible, the wish was granted.  

From Togo 2013

Enjoy the photos.  We resume distributions on Monday.

Until then   ...   Team Togo.

Post your comments here:

Togo: ROLL 'EM!

Shake, rattle & roll ....  this describes our trip to Deve and back.  Togo is the pot-hole capital of the world!

From Togo 2013

Rock & Roll .... The village was already rocking with the rhythms of Togolese music and dancing. The children were dressed and ready.  No time to waste setting up the site.   

From Togo 2013

Roll up the .... bedkit when the thunder warned of the torrent to come.  We rushed to relocate indoors in an empty classroom.

From Togo 2013

Team Togo
Post your comments here:

Togo: Day 2 - Kpadape - 150 K

Much cooler day …  only 38 degrees in the shade. 

From Togo 2013

 Under the spreading mango tree

 

From Togo 2013

The SCAW team went to work …..

Side by side with our Togolese partners,

From Togo 2013

 

Our duties we did not shirk.

From Togo 2013

A long day ..  we’re off to bed.

There’s not much more to say.

The photos tell the tale.

Besides the hydro’s gone again.

Zzzzzzzzzz……

From Togo 2013

Team Togo

Post your comments here:

Togo: Hagoume

From Togo 2013

We thought the most outstanding sight was 500 kids dressed in their colourful new T-shirts …. then we saw the flags…. Canada and Togo … proudly planted to welcome our team. A heart-stopping moment!

From Togo 2013

Then the drumming and dancing began. We were swept up into the joy and even managed a few dance steps.

From Togo 2013

Supported by our experienced Togolese volunteers, the distribution ran so smoothly we had enough time to visit an impressive cottage industry where about 10 young women, under the entrepreneurial leadership of Elizabeth, had sewn the shorts and skirts for the bedkits.

From Togo 2013

A good start to the distribution.

From Togo 2013

Team Togo 2013
Post your comments here:

Togo: Preparing for our distributions

From Togo 2013

Today we spent the day stocking up on supplies and visiting multiple schools and community wells, some of which were supported by other Canadian charities. The importance of clean water and difficulty in accessing some, cannot be overemphasized – even here in the capital of Lome itself. Yet another example of the things we in the west are fortunate enough to be able to take for granted.

We also visited the area where the bedkits are stored before they are transported to the distribution sites. 5,000 bedkits ready to go.

From Togo 2013

The team is looking forward to tomorrow’s distribution- our first.

Team Togo 2013 
Post your comments here: 

Togo: The Team Has Arrived!

Following 30 hours of travel, Team Togo arrived to the tremendously warm welcome of Laurent and his volunteer team of Enfance et Developpment Togo.  Even the unique system of baggage handling at the Togo airport could not dampen our spirits.

We have been  bear hugged, kissed, fed and shown to our rooms.  We truly are looking forward to a good night's sleep and the adventures that tomorrow will bring.

Linda for Team Togo 2013
Post your comments here: 

Togo: Post your comments here:

As a courtesy, please add your name to the end of your comment.

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.

Alan for Team Philippines 2013
Post your comments here: 

Philippines: Interviewing Moms

The Team from Philippines 2013

When you interview the mothers  in Malang you find they are no different than Canadian mothers.  They have the same concerns; only these mothers don't have food banks or social assistance to help out. One mothers only source of income was from her son who would carry bags at harvest time. When the rainy season comes there is no work, because they can't get the crops off.  Another mother, the same story, no crops able to be harvested, then no income, and no food.

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
Post your comments here:

Philippines: Some Random Thoughts for Today

Dance Recital from Philippines 2013

Happy Kids from Philippines 2013

• 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

Kids going home with their bedkits from Philippines 2013

No doubt that their pleasure and the relaxed atmosphere results from the computerized numbering system introduced by Maurice and the hard work and organization of our overseas partners. Most of you who have been to the Philippines will remember – Dr Ito, Alice, Jess, Toto, Beth, Lydia, & Melvin Mendoza while a new young group led by Millette, Eggy, Jeric, Louie, Rochelle & April are being groomed for increased responsibilities.

Team Leader Alan for Team Philippines 2013
 Post your comments here:

Philippines: Day 7

Our distribution in Floridablanca took place at a school. No clouds in the sky and the temperatures reaching 43 degrees, 109 F for those who continue to think in Fahrenheit. We rushed through the opening ceremonies to get the children out of the sun as soon as possible. The SCAW photo is taken in an outdoor covered area.

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
Post your comments here:

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
Post your comments here:

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
Post your comments here: 

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 
Post your comments here:

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!

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. 

A super first day!!

Team Philippines 2013
Post your comments here:

Philippines 2013: Post your comments here:

As a courtesy, please add your name to the end of your comment.

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.

P.Corlett  (The van was quiet on the way home......antihistamines???)
Post your comments here:

Mumbai/Belgaum: Almost Done!

The Belgaum-Mumbai team met with the Belgaum OVP team for their post-distrution meeting and open-air BBQ last evening. After discussing each of the distribution sites, the bedkit items, the Overseas Reporting Package and finances, we thanked each other for a very successful distribution and the friendships that we have made or renewed. The team will miss these friends but will long remember the wonderful experiences that we have shared, especially the Belgaum 25th Anniversary of their SCAW Partnership and the tremendous celebration of it. In particular, we will miss our driver, Manjunath. He has been such an integral part of our team over the past two weeks and we could not of done the distribution as successfully without him. 

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.

Bill Sergeant for Team Mumbai/Belgaum
Post your comments here: