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Pune: Visiting Schools!
Today
while Karen, Debbie and Sieg held a press conference and met with
the Rotarians, the rest of the team had the opportunity to visit two schools
which were part of last year's distribution. The Rotarians
arranged
a minibus again and Khuzem accompanied us for the
day. We picked up Mr. Pure, District School Commissioner on the way.
The
first school was in a small village about two hours outside of Pune. The village
welcomed us with drums and dabbing the tilaka mark on our forehead by
beautifully dressed young ladies. We joined former bedkit recipients and
teachers in a classroom. A lot of the children were dressed in the items received
in last year's bed kit. Parents and interested community members were
jammed outside looking and listening through the door and windows. Mr.
Pure introduced us and we all received the gift of a coconut and a momento.
Different members of the team asked the students various questions about
the bedkits received last year. A few questions were addressed to the
teachers also. It was apparent both the teachers and children
greatly
appreciated
the items in the bedkit and the items were making a positive difference in
their lives.
After
a brief lunch we headed out to another school. On the way we visited a
large dam giving a great scenic view of the area. The next village had a newer
school. The children waiting for us included some kindergarten
students
as well as bedkit recipients. After asking the questions, one of the students
recited something for us. As it was in the local language, we did
not know what it was but it sounded like a version of Little Red Riding Hood by
her gestures. Both visits gave us excellent feedback to validate the contents
of the bedkit as being good choices for the items. It was a school holiday
for at least one of the schools but the kids still appeared to very happy to
come out to meet us.
On
the way home we stopped at a Hindu bathing ritual site along a river. There were
many cement steps along the banks and a lot of people performing the ritual.
Thank
you Mr. Pure and Khazem .
The
evening was spent with a celebratory dinner hosted by the Rotarians. It
brought together all the major volunteers and their families for a great social
evening. A wonderful way to end our distribution…and, until we meet
again.
Team
Pune, 2014
Pune: Male
THERE
ARE NOW 5,000 CHILDREN IN THE PUNE AREA WHO WILL HAVE A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP.
Today
we went to Male, our last distribution village for this 2014 trip to Pune,
India. Upon entering the school area, we were given our bindi and taken to
Mulshi Gardens, where we placed a flower in honour of Shree Senapati Bapat.
Then we walked to the throng of beautiful smiling children sitting so still
waiting for us. During the opening ceremonies, we showed the children the
contents of the bedkit. The ohhs and ahhs, and the laughter when they saw the
underwear, were music to our ears. 
Today
one little boy had a smile from ear to ear when he received his gift. He was so
cute and excited. If only we had had a
camera at that moment!
At
days end we were treated to a delicious meal at a Rotarians home. The Rotarians continually show their
hospitality to all of us.
Even
though this is the last distribution day, we aren't done yet! Stay tuned for
more as we are visiting the manufacturing facilities and some of last year’s
bedkit recipients.
Pune: Bahirwadi
Once again, we arrived to see the waiting crowd. We were given a head dress, a bindi, and another ride in an oxen cart. We rode through the village, following the local musicians and dancers. Today, the children and their parents were seated together during the opening presentations. Everyone was so attentive, including the kids. It was so heart warming to see everyone so interested in all the activities. We were treated to two traditional dances performed by the girls and a dance from the boys that was more of a popular song. All three were amazing!
We had a great day handing out all the bedkits to the children! We even created a kazoo band featuring four young boys! They were quite talented.
After all our work was done, we went to a villager’s house, who made us a dinner featuring one of their crops, chickpeas! They dried and ground them,and mixed them with garlic, onions, and other herbs and spices. It was delicious!! We tried to obtain the recipe, but were not successful.
Afterwards, we were invited into some local houses. It was interesting to see that they keep their cattle right outside their front door to keep them safe. One of the houses had onions wrapped around a beam in the rafters. None of us had seen that before!
We finished up our visit in Bahirwadi by riding off into the sunset. What a perfect ending to a perfect day!
1,000 bedkits were distributed today to the children.
Team Pune 2014
Pune: Rest Day
Today was a break day. Debbie and Kerry headed off to
OSHO for some meditation while the rest of the team were treated to a tour of
Pune. Raj (Pune Rotary Team) arranged a minibus with a driver.
Our
first stop was Aga Khan Palace. The Palace was one of the places where Ghandi
was imprisoned. During his stay here his wife passed way. The palace and grounds
were beautiful and quiet being hard to believe vs. the bustle of the city just
a few blocks away. Raj then took us on a tour of an old British colonial fort.
It was massive structure. Since being built to fortify the city, tall buildings
now surround it. Unfortunately, the view from the fortifications is long
gone.
We
then stopped at a market including visiting a Hindu temple. This was the best
opportunity
to experience the electricity of the city. People, scooters. vegetable and dry
good stands everywhere. Pictures do not come close of the full spectrum of the
sensory experience. The sounds sights and aromas all together were awesome.
Next
stop was an outdoor laundry facility. Clothes towels, etc. are washed by hand
in out door cement tubs by rubbing and pounding the clothes on the cement.
They are then hung to dry on a clothesline. Quite surprised to learn the
towels from our hotel were likely washed there.
Finished
the day with a late lunch at an Italian restaurant although Indian fare was
still available on the menu.
What
a wonderful way to spend our day off. Thank you Raj!
Pune: Pune City
Our distribution was held in Pune city at a
Muslim school ,which started out as a small orphanage for
girls in 1925, and now has expanded to a 3,000 school facility providing much
needed education and skills training.
The distribution also included students from 5 other schools in the
area.
Upon arrival, we were treated to a
traditional Indian breakfast, followed by an honour guard of delightful young
children in their military-style uniforms, complete with precision, stomps and
salutes. Again a sea of happy smiling
faces greeted us as we entered the auditorium.
We felt like celebrities. The
welcome ceremony included speeches, singing of the National Anthem, prayers and
entertainment—boy’s acrobatics, and girls dancing in beautiful white
dresses. They even invited 2 of our team
members to join them on stage. What a
hoot. Each of the team received a
student made “keepsake” card and a rose.
We felt special.
Team Pune 2014
Pune: Mhate
Our second day was just as wonderful as the
first. Breakfast at 7:00 am and on the
road just before 8am. Our destination –
Mhate and 893 children awaiting their bedkits.
The excitement is palpable as we enter the village situated in a
beautiful valley south of Pune. A parade
that again includes a ride in an oxen cart, singing, dancing takes us to the
presentation tent. Looking across a sea
of exited little faces is worth the 3 hour drive. Our engagement begins here with the first
waves and smiles. This is a very big day
in their young lives.
Once the speeches and gifts are exchanged
we get down to work. The first step is
setting up the bedkit display behind which the children are photographed and
those photos are eventually sent to the donor as proof of the delivery made in
their name. After the photograph in
their new school uniforms the children receive their knapsack and shoes and
with their parent(s) receive the remainder of the bedkit items. It warms you to the core when they look up to
you and whisper “Thank you”. In your
heart you want to whisper back “No thank you for letting me share this moment
of your life”.
Our Rotary partners were a great help and we
ended the day sharing a meal together.
The day that began many miles away ended with a gorgeous sunset and full
moon. Happy Valentine’s
Day!
Mumbai/Belgaum: Belgaum Distributions Successfully Completed
The SCAW Mumbai-Belgaum travelling team had
fulfilling final distribution day. It started early with a tour of Hare Rama
Hare Kryshna ISKCON temple and the Kashaya Prata food preparation centre in
Hubli. The Hubli Rotarians had set up the tour to showcase how the 400 workers
prepared food for the mid-day meal for 180,000 public school children in
Karnatika province.
Once the 90-minute tour was completed, they
headed to Kungol and had one of their best distributions - a great way to
finish the 12 distributions in this area. The Rotarians had enlisted the help of
numerous students from a local junior college to help the children change into
their new clothes and then guide them from place to place through the distribution
process. The students were particularly helpful when assisting the children
with their new bedkit once they had received it from the SCAW team by carrying
it the 150m to where the parents were waiting outside the site.
In the evening, the SCAW team was hosted by
our OVPs at a private residence that was owned by a cousin of one of the team
members. After the post-distribution meeting and poetry by Dr. Kamalachar, the
team enjoyed socializing with the OVP members.
Many thanks to Chairman Mr. Dilip Chitnis,
Secretary Sanjay Kulkarni and the rest of the members of the Belgaum SCAW Trust
committee. There hard work and planning made for 12 successful distributions.
Mumbai/Belgaum: Moving On
We have completed our last distribution on the Mumbai/Belgaum schedule
and set out this morning for Goa, and then had an evening flight to Mumbai. From
there, some of us headed for lovely Canada while others are lingering awhile in ever fascinating Mumbai.
Yesterday was a full day for the SCAW team.
We were invited to tour a Krishna Temple and their incredible facility from which they feed over 1 million school children a freshly made lunch, every school day. They use gravitational levels rather than linear levels to avoid cross contamination of the food. We saw from the top level the actual food (veg only no meat) in its raw form, to next level down where cooking is done, to ground level where the packing is done for delivery to the schools.
This was really interesting to us as we knew that our bedkit recipients are all fed a meal at school -and this is where that meal comes from. That would be the child's only meal in many cases.
Just an aside, the child brings his own plate but the Temple is considering supplying plates as sometimes the child's plate is too small for the hearty meal!
We finished the day with final meeting with of Belgaum Rotarians and a hearty meal with this fine group of men.
Team Mumbai/Belgaum
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Yesterday was a full day for the SCAW team.
We were invited to tour a Krishna Temple and their incredible facility from which they feed over 1 million school children a freshly made lunch, every school day. They use gravitational levels rather than linear levels to avoid cross contamination of the food. We saw from the top level the actual food (veg only no meat) in its raw form, to next level down where cooking is done, to ground level where the packing is done for delivery to the schools.
This was really interesting to us as we knew that our bedkit recipients are all fed a meal at school -and this is where that meal comes from. That would be the child's only meal in many cases.
Just an aside, the child brings his own plate but the Temple is considering supplying plates as sometimes the child's plate is too small for the hearty meal!
We finished the day with final meeting with of Belgaum Rotarians and a hearty meal with this fine group of men.
Team Mumbai/Belgaum
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Pune: Our First Day!!
Our 9 member team arrived in Valuth to a
wonderful and exciting welcome. We were
all presented with a headscarf (even the men), which indicates that we are
important. We were carried in oxen
powered carts to our destination. People
were all lined on the road. We felt
special and important to be sure. We were
then entertained by children who danced to traditional music, and then on to
why we are here—the children.
Our almost 1,000 SCAW bedkit recipients
were from the various rural communities of Valuth. Some of the children came from around 40 km
away. This year the Rotary Club of Pune
Cantonment increased bedkit items to 33.
Some of the items are: baseball cap, backpack, mosquito net, school
supplies, clothes, and shoes. All of the
items are of excellent quality, which is a testament to the Rotary Club’s
persistence in obtaining not only the best prices, but also superior products.
Our exciting journey has just begun.
Team Pune 2014
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Mumbai/Belgaum: Cottage Industries and Providing Invaluable Assistance
SCAW
helps the citizens of the countries that it visits in many ways. Deserving
children receive a bedkit so that they may have a better sleep and improve
their chances of getting a better education. As well, local industries benefit
by competing for and being awarded contracts to produce the items for the
bedkit.
 |
| Manjunath, Nagu, Ramiash, Manogbai and a friend at the conclusion of the Hubli distribution |
The
Belgaum-Mumbai team had the opportunity to visit two local manufacturers today.
The first was a tailor shop called Durga Dresses, owned and operated by Ramaish
and his son Gowar. It is a two-room shop at the back of a narrow alley that
employs 10 women and men. It takes them four months to complete the order for
SCAW for the half-shirts, the golf shirts, the boys’ shorts, the girls’ dresses
and petticoats, as well as the older girls’ chudadars. Ramaish also goes to
each of the 12 distributions in the Belgaum area to personally fit each child
with proper fitting clothes – a mammoth task that is very much appreciated by
the SCAW team. It means that the quality and size of the clothing for each
child is first rate.
 |
| M/S Benswal Knitting Works with Team |
The
team also went to M/S Benswal Knitting Works. It employs 20 people in the
two-room shop and it takes a month to produce the 5,000 sweaters for the SCAW
bedkits. Once again, the quality of the sweaters is good
and the family takes great pride in its 20-year association with SCAW.
Team Mumbai/Belgaum 2014
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Mumbai/Belgaum: A Lesson in Philanthropy
Early Sunday morning, the SCAW team arrived
at the Hubli English Medium School to distribute 900 bedkits from 11
surrounding areas. The Distribution Chairman Raju and the Rotary Club President
Shri M.V.
Karmari warmly welcomed the team and showed us the well planned layout for the
distribution.
The
street behind the school was packed solid with children and parents waiting to
be registered for the distribution. The parents accompanied their children up
until they were dressed for the photo, when they reluctantly had to leave the
site and meet their children at the exit point once they had their bedkit.
The
Rotarians asked for a pause in the distribution in order to honour the SCAW
team and donors for their philanthropic spirit. Rotary President Shri M.V.
Karmari and other Rotary members placed sandalwood garlands on each member and
then said that Canada’s example should be emulated by more people in India. He also praised the 31 year association
between their Rotary Club and SCAW and hoped that many more children will be
helped in the future to have a better life.
Mumbai/Belgaum: The Parents
Each morning when we arrive at our distribution site, our
bus slowly manouvres past hundreds of parents; we acknowledge them with waves
and they respond by cheering loudly and waving vigorously. They have arrived early
to ensure that their children have registered on time for their bedkits, and
they anxiously anticipate receiving the much needed contents. Since children
are chosen from various schools throughout the region, many have travelled
several kilometres. At some locations the Rotary Clubs have provided
transportation, but at other sites the parents and children have walked a
lengthy distance.
They wait patiently for a few hours, often behind a gate or
in a particular compound, until their child proceeds through the distribution
circle and exits freshly clad in the new garments, carrying their huge bag
stuffed with the prized kit items. The parents and children are all so happy,
smiling broadly when we make our way to the bus and reaching out
shyly with gratitude to shake our hands and sincerely gesturing “NAMASTE”.
Anne Mac Donald for Team Mumbai/Belgaum 2014
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Mumbai/Belgaum: Yesh
For the Belgaum distribution, several sons and daughters of
the Rotarians volunteered their time. One young man was especially helpful.
Yesh is a delightful teenager whom the others respected; he is a natural
leader. He assisted for the entire 1000 distributions, pleasantly conversing
with each group of students, sitting them
in the proper position for the photos. His animated antics encouraged the
children to smile, and his energy was infectious. Yesh’s friendly nature and
positive attitude were refreshing, and he willingly and politely responded
immediately to any request. His father, an architect was a previous SCAW
distribution chair and Yesh plans to follow in his father’s footsteps. This
April he looks forward to visiting relatives in New York, and then travel to
Niagara Falls and Toronto. We were most appreciative of Yesh’s contribution to a successful
Belgaum distribution, and wish him all the best with his travels and with his
academic studies.Anne Mac Donald for Team Mumbai/Belgaum 2014
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Chennai: Thiru
Here is Thiru. In 1985 he learned about SCAW via a Rotary friend in
Mumbai. He contacted Murray about including Chennai in bedkit
distributions and in 1987 the first 1,000 kits were handed out.
The Ambattur Rotary Club is now planning for the distribution of the 100,000th kit in 2015, honouring Thiru for his foresight and dedication.
Team Chennai 2014
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 |
| Thiru with a bedkit recipient. |
The Ambattur Rotary Club is now planning for the distribution of the 100,000th kit in 2015, honouring Thiru for his foresight and dedication.
Team Chennai 2014
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Chennai: Mission Accomplished!!
Our 6000th bedkit recipient. Our mission is complete. Preethi is an 11
year old girl living in a village in the Andaman Islands. She attends
school and will benefit from all the items in the kit. Her father
thanked us all for her gift.
Our combined teams of Ambattur Rotarians and Canadian travellers are delighted and just a bit tired now that 6000 children will have the comfort of a good nights sleep. Thanks to all the donors and volunteers who have combined their love of children to accomplish this goal.
Team Chennai 2014
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Our combined teams of Ambattur Rotarians and Canadian travellers are delighted and just a bit tired now that 6000 children will have the comfort of a good nights sleep. Thanks to all the donors and volunteers who have combined their love of children to accomplish this goal.
Team Chennai 2014
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Chennai: Long Island
The day after our last distribution we went by boat to Long Island where
we visited the local government school. Two girls who had received
bedkits yesterday, were proud to show us their homes. The blankets had
already been used and the other kit items were spread out or neatly
stored. The mosquito nets will protect against bugs other than those
bringing malaria but useful nonetheless. Getting those children to the
distribution in Mayabunder required an hour long boat ride. The Port
Blair Rotarians did a wonderful job of making these transportation
arrangements. Other children had to travel by van or bus up to 70 kms
which took more than 2 hours considering the road conditions.
Our SCAW experience is almost over. We will meet with the Port Blair Rotarians tonight, fly back to Chennai tomorrow
and have our final meeting the next day with the Ambattur Rotarians who
coordinated all the distributions. 6,000 children are now resting
comfortably with the knowledge that many friends from far away have
given them "the gift of love".
Team Chennai 2014