Belgaum: The Team has Arrived!
The rest of the members of Belgaum Travelling Team have arrived safely in India. While they were flying over, the advanced party had a good day today touring the southern area of Mumbai.
Team Belgaum 2015
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To start the day, the staff the HMATC restaurant recognized Bill from last year and gave us great table service. The locals who were eating there were wondering why we were getting the special treatment.
We went to the Gates of India to catch a ferry to Elephanta Island. A young Indian man approached us at the ticket selling area for Elephanta Island to tell us that the Caves were closed on Mondays. He wanted to sell us tickets for the boat ride to and from the island, but since the caves were closed, he took us on a tour of the Gates of India and then to the Taj Mahal Hotel to look around and do some shopping. The one jewelry store have an exquisite butterfly broach made by hand with rubies, emeralds, diamond chips and other stones. It was tempting but we passed on it.
We then went 'shopping' through the sidewalk vendors. They all had ''deals' for us and wanted our business. We eventually made it to the Kala Gouda arts festival. It had some very unique artistic displays that they put a lot of thought into. By one oçlock we were starting to feel hungry so we ate at the Kyber Restaurant. We had a delicious assortment of various Indian foods and the atmosphere of the restaurant was special. It made for a good impression with the team.
This evening we met Neelesh and Judy Suchak, part of our SCAW Mumbai Overseas' Volunteer Partners team welcomed us at the HMATC with some flowers and chocolates. It was good to see them again. They have not changed at all and are just as helpful as ever. Bill's looking forward to seeing them on the 25th when he returns to Mumbai.
Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: The Team is on their Way
The Belgaum Travelling Team has departed Toronto enroute to Mumbai. Bill, Irwin, Lorna and Pamela will be followed there shortly by Sue and Cathy. The warm temperatures of India will be a welcome relief to the team after the snow that they experienced before leaving Toronto.
Team Belgaum 2015
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Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum 2015: Post Your Comments Here
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Chennai: The Rotarians’ Celebration
The Rotary Club of Chennai had a lot to be
proud of today. We distributed the 100, 000th bed kit for them. What a moment and what an experience! This
club has been an active participant with SCAW for 29 years. Not only did they
celebrate the one hundred thousandth bed kit but they also began counting again
with the next child. Photos were taken
and new T-shirts distributed to all the Rotarians and our SCAW team. The young girls who received the kits beamed
broad smiles as their photos were taken alone and with their families and the
Rotarians. The whole day was one to
which we were glad to be a part.
Team Chennai 2015
Chennai: Remembering Murray Dryden
February 1 we did a distribution at a large school in
Tiruvallur. As we gathered, Ravi, the head of SCAW for the Chennai
distribution, shared that Murray Dryden died 11 years ago on that day. Ravi
requested a minute of silence to remember and honour Murray for his commitment
to needy children in the world. In that moment, Ravi also spoke with gratitude
for SCAW’S connection to India. Having Judy Dryden with us made the silence
more poignant. Our hearts softened as tears silently slipped down her face. The
last greatest act of love is to grieve our losses. Murray is remembered and
held in a place of love and admiration.
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| Murray Dryden |
As the Rotarians, SCAW team, and the multitude of
volunteers bowed their heads in respect, a solitary bird sang a melody in tune
with the background hum of traffic drifting over the school's wall.
Excited children's voices trickled in. Murray had a vision so many years ago. A vision
carried forward by his family and volunteers. He would have been so proud to
know that, this year, the 100,000th Chennai bedkit is to be delivered in
Ambattur this week. Over 1,000,000 children sleep better. Over
1,000,000 children have received an otherwise unattainable gift. Over
1,000,000 children have experienced hope for a new, exciting day. All because
one man had a vision.
Donna Chantler for Team Chennai
Post your comments here:Chennai: Factory Visits
During our travel day to Yercaud we had
many fascinating opportunities to visit some of the factories that produce the
items for our bed kits. We saw mosquito
nets, mattresses, T-shirts and ground covers being made. The owners of the factories proudly showed us
around and gave us food (mostly bananas) and drink (water and pop). These
factories were small and efficient. There were no conveyor belts but they all
had their specialty and they work quickly, passing the work down the table to
the next person in the chain. (Do you ever wonder what became of your old
sewing machine? We think we saw a few of
them here and you will be pleased to know the machines are running very well to
this day.)
The Indian people do not smile during
photos but they certainly grin broadly when shown the results on a camera. In lieu of more words here are some photos of
the factories that we visited.
Team Chennai 2015
Chennai: Hope
You may have noticed that there has been no
blog for a few days. Sorry, but we have been too busy riding elephants,
visiting spice plantations and travelling from one location to another. Consequently we have returned too late at
night to create a blog. So the following blog for today was written en route
and is being added now that we have settled in again.
Hope
The SCAW bed kit gives each child articles,
such as exercise books, pencils and a back pack, that will support them in
school and hopefully to stay in school. The clothes help them to feel better
about themselves. With the blanket, sheets, quilted pad and ground cover, the
SCAW bedkit encourages a good night sleep so that each child can embrace the day
and make it the best it can be. The bedkit provides a towel, nail clippers and
bedding to encourage cleanliness, respect for the body and quality sleep.
Kolkata: It's a Wrap!
Many had already left the neighbourhood site, some walking
Some on bike,
Some in a tuk tuk
It was a happy day for them
We were honoured guests at a final banquet, at which Rotarians and their families joined to bid us farewell. It has been a special distribution for them as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of their club and their 17th SCAW distribution. We return to Canada, embraced by the warmth of their kind hospitality and overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of work they do to make each year's distribution so efficient and successful.
We leave, leaving a little bit of ourselves in spirit and friendship in Kolkata, but take with us many treasured memories that will last forever.
Team Kolkata 2015
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Kolkata: Krishnanagar
Each day brings a unique experience, a new destination, a
wonderful gathering of Rotarians, volunteers and of course, hundreds of
delightful children. Some are sombre,
needing much coaxing to bring forth a smile; others quite outgoing, anxious to
practise their English. All are in need
and so deserving of the SCAW bedkit.
Today’s journey was a 6 hour round trip to Krishnanagar,
reached by the only road that leads to Bangladesh and Assam. Consequently, our skillful driver battled for
space on the road with many cars, wagons, motorcycles and trucks..
Each distribution has much in common:
Entertaining the children, coaxing out those smiles
Helping set up the photo shoot
Sharing special moments
Accepting the sincere gratitude of bedkit recipients
Working with Rotarians who have become our friends
At day’s end we had brought smiles to 460 children in
Krishnanagar. Just once more chance to
bring joy and comfort to children in our
last distribution tomorrow. Just one
more chance to accept the wonderful hospitality of our hosts, members of the
Rotary Club of Dum Dum. Just one more
day to collect some treasured moments. And one more day to see those beautiful
smiles and happy children.
Irene
Harrison for Team Kolkata 2015
Kolkata: Barrackpore
Our Day 8 distribution was at Barrackpore, a military installation in Kolkata, on the shores of the Ganges River. It was a large site, and the children arrived bright and early to receive their bedkits. Temperatures have been rising steadily over the past week, so the children no longer choose to wear their new fleece jackets from their bedkits for their photos. As the day got hotter we were able to find shade for the children under the trees. There were lots of smiles from the children before they left with their new bedkits.
At the end of the distribution we had the privilege of touring the Gandhi Museum located on the site.
Only two more distributions before all 5,000 children will have the joy of a better sleep.
Only two more distributions before all 5,000 children will have the joy of a better sleep.
Judy Dryden for Team Kolkata 2015
Kolkata: Chandra's Garden
Today was another memorable day in Kolkata.
The team travelled 60 kilometers to Chandra's Garden, the site for today's distribution. This site is owned by an Indian company that produces snack food, and is used by them for special events. This was a beautiful setting, with lovely manicured lawns, well-tended gardens and modern buildings.
The most notable thing was the dramatic contrast between a place like this and the "village" we visited yesterday where bedkit recipients live. In fact, as you travel to and from every distribution site the scene from the van window always seems slightly chaotic, with people, bikes, motorcycles, tuk tuks, wagons, cars and trucks weaving over every inch of road. At the side of the road the prominent color this time of year is grey; the grey of shanties and shacks, buildings and worn advertising signs. Chandra's Garden was quite an oasis in the midst of this.
Surprisingly, the children lining up to have their photos taken did not seem impressed at all. They are much more interested in the bedkit process, the items they will receive and in clowning around with their friends in line. With our normal league of volunteers including some Rotary children, the process was as smooth as ever. Today was our biggest distribution of this trip - 640 bedkits, 640 warm and appreciative smiles.
Tonight we are off to a wedding. One of the Dum Dum Rotarian's daughters is getting married and we have been graciously invited.
Oh dear, what to wear?!
Lynn Benson for Team Kolkata
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The team travelled 60 kilometers to Chandra's Garden, the site for today's distribution. This site is owned by an Indian company that produces snack food, and is used by them for special events. This was a beautiful setting, with lovely manicured lawns, well-tended gardens and modern buildings.
The most notable thing was the dramatic contrast between a place like this and the "village" we visited yesterday where bedkit recipients live. In fact, as you travel to and from every distribution site the scene from the van window always seems slightly chaotic, with people, bikes, motorcycles, tuk tuks, wagons, cars and trucks weaving over every inch of road. At the side of the road the prominent color this time of year is grey; the grey of shanties and shacks, buildings and worn advertising signs. Chandra's Garden was quite an oasis in the midst of this.
Surprisingly, the children lining up to have their photos taken did not seem impressed at all. They are much more interested in the bedkit process, the items they will receive and in clowning around with their friends in line. With our normal league of volunteers including some Rotary children, the process was as smooth as ever. Today was our biggest distribution of this trip - 640 bedkits, 640 warm and appreciative smiles.
Tonight we are off to a wedding. One of the Dum Dum Rotarian's daughters is getting married and we have been graciously invited.
Oh dear, what to wear?!
Lynn Benson for Team Kolkata
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Kolkata: Bira
Today, we travelled about 50 km to arrive at the
distribution in Bira, Ashoknagar. Using rural roads in India, travelling time
is double that which we might expect at home.
However, compared to the first group of children who received bedkits,
that was very little distance at all.
Those youngsters left their homes at 3:00 am in order to travel over 100
km and still arrive on time for the distribution. They lived near Sunderban, an
area close to the sanctuary to protect Bengal tigers which are in danger of
extinction in India.
Our Overseas Partners once again made sure that all children
were fed before they prepared for the distribution, itself a fairly lengthy
process for children who are tired and perhaps a little wary of strangers.
Happy faces,
Beautiful smiles
Even watchful parents,
Made yet another memorable day for us.
Following the customary generous lunch , we had the
opportunity to visit a nearby village to see where some of the bedkit
recipients live. What a humbling
experience that was, seeing the conditions in which these children grow
up. Yet the children were so happy and
excited to meet us.
It was a community of
squatters who had moved onto some unused railway lands, starting about fifteen
years ago. They had very little, with
many families, often with seven or eight members sharing a single room. Even so we’ll never forget the little girl who had received her bedkit
this morning. When asked what her
favourite item in the kit was, her smile grew and her eyes sparkled as she
proudly displayed the lovely blue dress she was wearing.
She was absolutely beautiful!
Chennai: Day 3 Distribution at Kilpauk
Today was a warm, sunny day and the
distribution ran smoothly. At times there was even a feeling that an external
source (God?) was synchronizing our actions. We were outside in a school yard
and because it was Sunday we did not have any children from that school to help
or hinder. Our overseas volunteers, The Rotarians of Ambattur helped with the
communications. We are always very thankful for their help.
One the joys of our day was hearing about a
letter posted on Marg’s Facebook page written by the children from an orphanage.
Yesterday they received bedkits from SCAW and were filled with a wonderful
sense of joy which spread to us all. (Happiness
is Contagious)
Team Chennai 2015
Chennai: Happiness is Contagious!!
Day 2 – Scaw’s 2015 Chennai Distribution in
Vallore was a three hour drive from our hotel. Fortified with a breakfast stop
along the way, we arrived at the community centre mid-morning. After a few last minute details were ironed
out, the event was soon underway. The 600 children quickly warmed to the
occasion. Their smiles and excitement were contagious.
As with any SCAW distribution, it can be
said that the volunteers benefited as much from the experience as the children
and their families. We may have been separated by language and culture but we
could easily connect by sharing a happy day.
The children would on occasion approach these “white” people with
trepidation and some fear but the sheer joy on their faces when they received
their bedkits made it all worthwhile. A smile would light up their faces as
most of them struggled to carry the heavy kit by themselves.
As a grand finale, we were treated to some
impromptu singing and dancing by the children of the Mercy Home Orphanage,
Tiruvannamalai. They laughed and sang with complete abandon and delight. Their
day was almost over and they had a new bedkit to take with them.
A delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant
was provided for the volunteers by Shan of Rotary Club Vellore. Shan was the
organizer of today’s event. All of us then piled into the van for the trip back
to Chennai – tired but happy.
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Kolkata: Our Road Trip
Dahlias seemed to be the theme of these distributions. The first day on the road we visited
Gangadharpur, for a distribution at a college.
On the same site, Rotary is building a hospital to care for patients
with eye problems, particularly cataracts.
We had lots of volunteer help, and our photo site was in front of a
garden featuring dahlias. It was a beautiful
backdrop to the lovely children we saw.
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| Student Teacher Volunteers |
Children and parents were fed before each child received its
bedkit, a testimony to the extra effort
that our Overseas Partners make to ensure the success of the distribution. Many children had travelled considerable distances to reach the
distribution site.
After a short drive we visited Howrah for another
distribution. It was the first time the
Rotary Clubs in that area had hosted a distribution and they put a great deal
of effort into it, with good success.
The children were tired, and the sun was casting long shadows by the
time we finished. But they were extremely pleased with their bedkit and it was
satisfying to know that they will now have a good night’s rest after
a long, weary ride home.
We stayed overnight in Kharagpur where we were very well-treated
by the Rotary team. The following day
there was a distribution at the Tata Bearing Factory compound. It was another well-run distribution and the
photo backdrop was a row of potted dahlias.
They were a compliment to the bright colours of the girls' dresses.
After the long drive back to Kolkata, today is our rest day. More than half of the 5,000 bedkits have been
handed out to needy children, and tomorrow we're looking forward to the start
of giving the gift of a bedkit to the rest of the children.
Judy Dryden for Team Kolkata 2015
Chennai: Avadi Surprises!
This was Day 1 of the Chennai distribution
and it was to be our “warm up” day, a straight- forward distribution not far
from Chennai. The plan was to ease ourselves into our ten days of
distributions. The day was a great
success with some lovely surprises.
The first surprise was the engagement of a
large number of level 10 students helping out. These young people were
enthusiastic and energetic. (They also got the day off of school, which
delighted them all - this was not a surprise.)
The second surprise was melodic chanting in
Sanskrit by boys from the Adi Shankara Institute of Cultural Research and
Training. They preformed during an
unexpected morning break. The chants from the lost language of Sanskrit are
meditative and soothing. It took these boys two years of studying to learn
these mysterious, ancient melodies.
On the way home we had two surprise stops. First was a visit to the packing centre where
they packed the items for the bedkits in the Chennai area. A number of women
work for about 2 weeks, diligently packing 500 kits a day. What an assembly line they have created! They are paid for their efforts by the Rotary
Club’s SCAW budget. SCAW offers
financial opportunities to small industries who create items for the bedkits.
(All the money that is donated for a bedkit goes to the country in which the
bedkit is distributed and all items are purchased there.)
Our second
visit was to the Ambattur Rotary Hospital where we ate a lunch of pizza and KFC
chicken burgers (now that was a surprise) and toured the facility. This
hospital is a tribute to the Rotarians who work hard to support it financially
with their fundraising efforts. Our host Rotarians raise money for this
hospital, a school and, of course, SCAW.
The Rotarians in India provide a great deal of support to their
communities and the less fortunate.
We have indeed “warmed ourselves up” for
future distributions. Stay tuned.
Team Chennai 2015
Kolkata: A Rural Experience
We were headed out at 7am from our hotel and already the streets were full of vehicles and people. Today's distribution was at Kalanabagram, a community surrounded by flat, fertile farmland. Most of the rice had been harvested, but lush, green fields were filled with potatoes and mustard plants. Some banana groves dotted the landscape and everywhere we saw goats.
Kolkata's economy is largely based on its agriculture.
We were warmly welcomed by the hosting Rotary Club of Sikshaniketan and then entertained by local children, dressed in traditional costume, performing aboriginal dances.
Whether in the hustle and bustle of Kolkata and suburbs or in the countryside, the children's delight in receiving the bedkits was obvious.
After the distribution, we toured the quite unique community. The village was a wonderful example of a planned community, started by the freedom fighter, Bijoy Kumar Bhattachary, and is really based on a holistic approach to a community. We saw a day care for young children so both parents could work in the fields, a school, a vocational institute and a nearly completed nursing home for the elderly. A craft centre in the complex specialized in hand made bags to be sold at city markets. We all made purchases as memorable souvenirs of this particular day. The central square of the village was a beautiful setting, nicely landscaped, and the villagers were clearly proud of their community.
Anne Kell for Team Kolkata 2015
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Kolkata's economy is largely based on its agriculture.
We were warmly welcomed by the hosting Rotary Club of Sikshaniketan and then entertained by local children, dressed in traditional costume, performing aboriginal dances.
Whether in the hustle and bustle of Kolkata and suburbs or in the countryside, the children's delight in receiving the bedkits was obvious.
After the distribution, we toured the quite unique community. The village was a wonderful example of a planned community, started by the freedom fighter, Bijoy Kumar Bhattachary, and is really based on a holistic approach to a community. We saw a day care for young children so both parents could work in the fields, a school, a vocational institute and a nearly completed nursing home for the elderly. A craft centre in the complex specialized in hand made bags to be sold at city markets. We all made purchases as memorable souvenirs of this particular day. The central square of the village was a beautiful setting, nicely landscaped, and the villagers were clearly proud of their community.
Anne Kell for Team Kolkata 2015
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Chennai: Getting Ready
Team Chennai was greeted last night at midnight by our wonderful Rotarians. There is great excitement here over the distribution of the 100 000th bedkit in Chennai. The first distribution was in 1987, some 28 years ago. Judy will be joining us to present the special bed kit on our last day of distribution.
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| Team Members from Left to right. Lawrence Hutchinson, Sue Small (Team Leader), Cathy Gregory, Donna Chantler, Marg Garrett (Assistant Team Leader), Don Barclay |
Today we were busy checking out the bedkit and are pleased to announce all is in good order. Lawrence led us in yoga breathing exercises as a warm up activity. We even witnessed a wedding in our hotel amidst bands and fireworks announcing the groom and an elevator ride with the bride. We’re off to a great start to our distribution.
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| The Bride |
Marg for Team Chennai