Uganda: Visiting Factories
Our first day in Uganda took us on a tour of the local factories that are so important to the production of items in our bedkits. The ladies of the Innerwheel
work throughout the year to procure the items that are needed and
negotiate the best price to give the best value for the $35 that is
available from each donation. This process takes several months and much work on the part of our Overseas Volunteer Partners. 
We visited a factory where the mattresses are produced. The owner spoke with pride about his production of the 6000 bedkits and had generously provided storage of all the bedkit items throughout the time of the distribution. We also saw the factories where the sheets were made and the uniforms. It was interesting to hear about how local people, particularly women were employed in these factories contributing to the local economy. Team Uganda 2013
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Uganda: Our First Distribution!!
It was an early morning start for team Uganda for our first day of
distribution. The incredible ladies of the Inner Wheel met us at our
bus for a two hour drive through Kampala traffic to the site of a
primary school very near to Lake Victoria. On the way we saw the homes
of the children that we would soon meet and many parents were able to
accompany their children as it was a Sunday.
Many other families were there watching who were not receiving a bed
kit and were hopeful that we might return another year for their
children as well. 
We were greeted with smiles and cheers as we
introduced ourselves and showed the contents of the
bedkits. We were pleasantly surprised that the biggest cheer was for
the school supplies: twelve exercise books, a math set and a school bag
made
by a small local cottage industry. Other items that particularly excited them were the mosquito net and the mattress. All of our team members were very moved by the children's enthusiasm particularly since several of our team members are first time SCAW travelers.
Team Uganda 2013
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Uganda 2013: Post Your Comments Here
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Togo: Au Revoir Togo!!
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| Bedkit Recipient in doorway of tiny room that her family lives in from Togo 2013 |
Parades made the streets impassable so our departure was delayed. Fortunately the road was paved and well maintained so we arrived even before some of the children had returned from the Independence Day festivities in Kebotoe.
The children sang their Togo National Anthem and we responded with Oh Canada.
With mixed emotions we handed out the last 500 bedkits.
One of today's children lived in a small compound just across the road from the school. We were invited to visit.
There is no doubt the bedkit will be well used but while most of bedkit was still in the bag, the school supplies were already set out on her tiny desk.
Take a look at the photos of the Togo/Canada Team. It was a pleasure to work with Action Enfance et Developpment, a dedicated and congenial group led by Laurent Dekalikan and his wife, Gladys.
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| Mattress and Bedkit Items from Togo 2013 |
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| Kitchen in the Compound from Togo 2013 |
Team Togo
Togo: Adeta - 148km
Splish! Splash
We awoke around 4 a.m. this morning to one heck of a storm!
Some of us awoke to water in our rooms. Today's labels took a bit of a soaking but we were able to salvage them.
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| A Stormy Start from Togo 2013 |
By 7:30 a.m. we received a call to delay our departure because the children would not be arriving at the site on time.
This allowed Bill, "notre chef extraordinaire Togolese", to do a quick clean up of the kitchen and to join us. Bill has cooked meals for SCAW teams for seven years and had never been on a distribution.
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| Bob the chief and Bill the chef from Togo 2013 |
Yet another call en route reported a further delay which give us time to check out a local artisan centre.
By the time we arrived at the site, the storm had cleared. We were able to set up the photography outside and the rest of the distribution was completed without a hitch. Five hundred children are tucked in their new beds tonight.
We benefited from the cooler temperatures and cloud cover which followed the storm. It was only 89F.
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| The team at work from Togo 2013 |
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| The team at work from Togo 2013 |
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| The team at work from Togo 2013 |
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| Faces in the crowd from Togo 2013 |
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| Faces in the crowd from Togo 2013 |
On the way home we drove higher up into the lush rain forest giving us a look at another side of Togo.
We bought ripe yellow bananas fresh off the tree and devoured them immediately. Yum!
We headed back to Lome in time to grab 4 hockey bags of medical supplies arranged by Doug MacDougald and deliver them to a local clinic.
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| Medical Supplies for the Clinic from Togo 2013 |
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| A gift of a soccer ball from Canada from Togo 2013 |
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| A gift of chalk from Canada from Togo 2013 |
Another busy but satisfying day.
Team Togo 2013
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Togo: Day 7 - Amoussoukondji
The French Connection
Fourteen
Grade 1 students in a French Immersion Class at Allenby Public School
in Toronto wrote letters to the children of Togo. Today we were
delighted to present the letters to the children of Amoussoukondji who
read the letters and responded by singing a Togolese Folk Song to their
new friends in Canada.
Five hundred bedkits found new homes today.
Bedkits travel home in many ways:
Togo 2013
Togo: Our Day in Pictures!
Our Welcome in Kewome:
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| Our Welcome from Togo 2013 |
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| Our Welcome from Togo 2013 |
Our Team at Work:
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| Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013 |
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| Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013 |
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| Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013 |
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| Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013 |
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| Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013 |
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| Our Team Hard at Work from Togo 2013 |
Half-Way There!
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| Half-Way There from Togo 2013 |
We Will All Sleep Well Tonight!!
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| We will all sleep well tonight!! from Togo 2013 |
Team Togo
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
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.
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| 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.
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| From Togo 2013 |
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| From Togo 2013 |
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| From Togo 2013 |
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| From Togo 2013 |
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| From Togo 2013 |
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| From Togo 2013 |
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| From Togo 2013 |
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| 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!
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.
Enjoy the photos. We resume distributions on Monday.
Until then ... Team Togo.
Togo: ROLL 'EM!
Shake, rattle & roll .... this describes our trip to Deve and back. Togo is the pot-hole capital of the world!
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| 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.
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| 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.
Team Togo
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Togo: Day 2 - Kpadape - 150 K
Side by side with our Togolese partners,
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……
Team Togo
Togo: Hagoume
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| 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!
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| From Togo 2013 |
Then the drumming and dancing began. We were swept up into the joy and even managed a few dance steps.
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| 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.
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| From Togo 2013 |
A good start to the distribution.
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| From Togo 2013 |
Team Togo 2013
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Togo: Preparing for our distributions
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| From Togo 2013 |
We
also visited the area where the bedkits are stored before they are transported
to the distribution sites. 5,000 bedkits ready to go.
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
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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 |
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| 1998 bedkit from Philippines 2013 |
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| 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
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| Dance Recital from Philippines 2013 |
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| Happy Kids from Philippines 2013 |
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| 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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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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Team Philippines 2013
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