Kolkata: Our Treasured Volunteers!
Namaskar:
Today, the team would like to acknowledge all the extra work that has gone on by non- Rotarian volunteers on this distribution. We could not have done any of it without their assistance.
From the local women who helped the children change into their new clothing, to the people who have provided food for both the children, their families and us. Our incredible driver, Dilip who has negotiated us SAFELY through the craziness of Kolkata traffic and then pitched in and assisted us at each and every distribution and Deba who has worked tirelessly, trouble shooting, replacing damaged items, and delivering mango juice to a grateful SCAW team. Our four guys who are in charge of loading up of the bedkits in Kolkata, driving to the distribution sites and then off-loading the kits so we can give them to the children. Imagine 5,000 x 13 lbs (per bedkit). ...! Alok, Bai, and another personal driver chauffeur people to and from the sites (us included) then carry items for the distribution once we get to the sites and also help with carrying the kits for the little children. At the school for the blind, the local scout group helped with crowd control and handing out bedkits.
If all of these people had to be paid for the amount of hours they have donated with their time, energy and enthusiasm, we could not have afforded them. How grateful we are that they believe in what Team Kolkata is doing! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Team Kolkata 2016
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Today, the team would like to acknowledge all the extra work that has gone on by non- Rotarian volunteers on this distribution. We could not have done any of it without their assistance.
From the local women who helped the children change into their new clothing, to the people who have provided food for both the children, their families and us. Our incredible driver, Dilip who has negotiated us SAFELY through the craziness of Kolkata traffic and then pitched in and assisted us at each and every distribution and Deba who has worked tirelessly, trouble shooting, replacing damaged items, and delivering mango juice to a grateful SCAW team. Our four guys who are in charge of loading up of the bedkits in Kolkata, driving to the distribution sites and then off-loading the kits so we can give them to the children. Imagine 5,000 x 13 lbs (per bedkit). ...! Alok, Bai, and another personal driver chauffeur people to and from the sites (us included) then carry items for the distribution once we get to the sites and also help with carrying the kits for the little children. At the school for the blind, the local scout group helped with crowd control and handing out bedkits.
If all of these people had to be paid for the amount of hours they have donated with their time, energy and enthusiasm, we could not have afforded them. How grateful we are that they believe in what Team Kolkata is doing! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Team Kolkata 2016
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Chennai: Diglipur
We
had a very long 18 hour trip yesterday consisting of a 2 1/2 hour flight, 2
short ferry boat rides and a long bus ride to get to Kalipur, near Diglipur on
the Andaman Islands. We traveled through lush rain forests, small towns, a
reservation area for the Jarawa tribe of Indians and coastal areas that had
been hit by the tsunami a few years ago.
Our
distribution today was the first for this area and we delivered 564 bed kits to
the children in Diglipur. The children are very quiet and shy and would laugh
when being entertained with magic and a hand puppet while waiting in line but
were very serious when it was time to take their picture.
Fran
for Team Chennai
Chennai: Ambattur
Ambattur, the last
distribution in the Chennai area was held at the school supported by the Rotary
Club of Ambattur. The Rotarians have
supported our SCAW distributions for 29 years. The Children were delightful and
responded with awe at the magic tricks.
It was a good day for the teachers, the
Rotarians, the high school volunteers and the SCAW Team.
We handed out the
4000th bed kit too.
This distribution
was particularly special since the Rotarians offer scholarships to 10 students
to honour Murry Dryden’s name.
At the completion
of the distribution we were able to visit the homes of several of the
recipients. The families graciously allowed us to see where the bed kit would
be used.
Marg for Team Chennai 2016
Post your comments here:Kolkata: Day 9
Today's distribution was at a school for children with special needs. They were so excited at our coming and even more so at the thought they would be taking home one of our bedkits.
Peggy did an interview with a principal who runs a school of 25 children with severe congenital issues. The principal used to be in the traditional school system but wanted to help the parents who discovered that their children's needs were not being met in the regular school system.
We were so sad because today Judy O. and Addie had to leave us to return home to the States. Judy O. is a leading authority on paediatric sleep issues, and her professional knowledge enhanced our experience in working with the children. Every child received from Addie a good luck U.S. penny. The children were thrilled with this symbol of generosity.
After our distribution, the Rotarians provided us with a delicious lunch of Bengali food. And indeed, at every distribution, the hospitality has been incredible!
It was hot today, and so, as the children did not have to wear their fleece jackets, we were able to see the beautiful dresses given in our bedkits.
Hard to believe, we have only 2 days to go, but the memories of this intriguing country will remain with us forever.
Team Kolkata 2016
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Peggy did an interview with a principal who runs a school of 25 children with severe congenital issues. The principal used to be in the traditional school system but wanted to help the parents who discovered that their children's needs were not being met in the regular school system.
After our distribution, the Rotarians provided us with a delicious lunch of Bengali food. And indeed, at every distribution, the hospitality has been incredible!
It was hot today, and so, as the children did not have to wear their fleece jackets, we were able to see the beautiful dresses given in our bedkits.
Hard to believe, we have only 2 days to go, but the memories of this intriguing country will remain with us forever.
Team Kolkata 2016
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Belgaum: Day One!
It was a great experience for all of us.
We arrived into a giant sea of love and for a while surrounded by hundreds of screaming happy children it must have been how the Beatles felt.
The children were very excited to see us and we played balloon volleyball and took their pictures. The kids really loved that.
At first the kids were shy. but one smile from us and we were rewarded with their beautiful smiles in return. Once inside the site we were treated to singing and reciting their abc,s and numbers but then it was down to the distribution.
It was a long day but thoroughly rewarding to see the girls in their beautiful new dresses and the boys proudly showing off their new outfits. Getting smiles for the photographs was easy!
The location was very suitable for this purpose and the Rotarians and all the other volunteers were very helpful and integral in the distribution.
We are anticipating another incredible Day 2!
Team Belgaum 2016
Kolkata: Distribution Days 7 and 8!!
We went to Howrah yesterday and did a distribution to a lot of special needs children. It was a clear day and the clouds that were threatening passed us by - to our relief. Judy O, Addie and Lynette tried a chorus line routine for the children - but Radio City would NEVER hire us! We then tried the hand jive and the parents and children were joining in and laughing with us. So much fun.
We were then able to visit three homes of recipients of kits from last year. It was humbling to see how they lived and to what good use they had put the kits to. When you see the photo, people sometimes ask why are the children getting a kit when they look so lovely. Let us assure you, they REALLY do need the bedkits!
Apologies for not sending the blog yesterday. No internet connection.
We then drove to the coast of the Bay of Bengal for a distribution in Contai. We went for a walk along the beach and it was wonderful to breath in the amazing fresh air of the ocean rather than the polluted atmosphere of Kolkata!
After the distribution, the children were so excited when they finally realized that ALL the stuff that they had seen was actually going to be THEIRS. Judy O said she "felt like a rock star" with all the high fives, cheers and claps she received. We were every bit as excited as the children.
Team Kolkata 2016
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We were then able to visit three homes of recipients of kits from last year. It was humbling to see how they lived and to what good use they had put the kits to. When you see the photo, people sometimes ask why are the children getting a kit when they look so lovely. Let us assure you, they REALLY do need the bedkits!
Apologies for not sending the blog yesterday. No internet connection.
We then drove to the coast of the Bay of Bengal for a distribution in Contai. We went for a walk along the beach and it was wonderful to breath in the amazing fresh air of the ocean rather than the polluted atmosphere of Kolkata!
After the distribution, the children were so excited when they finally realized that ALL the stuff that they had seen was actually going to be THEIRS. Judy O said she "felt like a rock star" with all the high fives, cheers and claps she received. We were every bit as excited as the children.
Team Kolkata 2016
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Belgaum: Predistribution!
Pre scaw distribution activities;
Prior to the scaw distribution we were invited to visit a preschool in the outskirts of Mumbai by a colleague of the team members.
We visited two schools which were located in the slums. The conditions were very poor. Regardless of the conditions, the brightness in the children's eyes and their excitement to see us and show us their progress was very touching. This visit gave us an idea on how our efforts with SCAW were also going to make a very important impact on the children in Belgaum.
Scaw predistribution;
We all arrived in Belgaum and were picked up by Manju, our trusted driver who brought us to our hotel.
We freshened up and headed off to the predistribution meeting to meet the trustees of the Belgaum scaw distribution.
The agenda was to make introductions and discuss the distribution logistics. The bedkit was viewed and the process for the distribution was reviewed by all in attendance.
The team members were very impressed by the number and quality of items in the bedkit . It was mentioned by the rotarians that the retail value of the bedkits exceeded the 35 dollars due to the excellent negotiations skills and bulk buying by the rotarians.
After the formalities of the predistribution we got to know each other better while enjoying the wonderful Indian cuisine.
We retired after a long but incredibly motivating day.
Team Belgaum 2016
Team Belgaum 2016
Belgaum: The Team Has Arrived!
The very best special Belgaum distribution!
Well we have arrived...all via different routes; Mike and Kate, Jen and Clark - Vancouver thru Beijing to Mumbai and Sue, Warren and Diane - Toronto via London to Mumbai.
The team is made up of six Raymond James employees plus the CEO of Raymond James, Paul, his wife Rose and Sue, the team leader of Belgaum distribution.
Special? Yes...the RJ Team have raised the entire amount for the 3000 bedkits that will be distributed.
Everyone is so excited to be here and can't wait to meet the children and see their sparkling eyes and big smiles.
The sights and sounds of India are a bit overwhelming at first, loud, bright, chaotic but we will all get used to it quickly.
All of us want to thank SCAW for this wonderful opportunity to be here, to help these beautiful children and to continue Murray's dream...stay tuned for our daily blogs
Very Best Special Belgaum team 2016
Chennai: Leaving Puducherry
Tuesday, January 26th, is Republic Day in
India. The weekend celebrations were akin to our Canada Day weekend. It
was also an off day for the SCAW Team in Chennai as we said goodbye to
Puducherry. In the morning, we visited Auroville which is a
place that has been transformed from a barren plateau to a lush green landscape
in which a city is beginning to take shape (www.aroville.org).
After lunch and a stroll along the ocean front in Puducherry,
we began our journey back to the Chennai area. As we got close
to Chennai, we had the opportunity to visit homes of flood victims in
two locations. The first village received about 30 bedkits and the flood level
reached the knees of the inhabitants.
The second village area flooded to above
waist levels and there were over 150 recipients of bedkits from this village
area. There is still a lot of water in evidence even now. The
sightseeing at Auroville and Punducherry was very nice, but seeing the place
where the children live and seeing the children who had received the
bedkits with their families was very special.
Our partners, The Rotary Club of Ambattur is
a very special group of people. They consider themselves to be a
"project" club. Three important ongoing projects are SCAW,
their hospital, and their school. But that's not all!
After the floods, they set up Medical Clinics
with 100 doctors volunteering their time to provide medicine primarily for
Rat Fever and ointment for cracks in the feet. They serviced over 6,500
people at 8 clinics while also getting ready for the SCAW
distribution to 5,000 children. We are blessed to be amongst these very
giving people who share their hearts with others.
Chennai: Puducherry
For those of you who have seen The movie
the Life of Pi, the movie was filmed on the Bengal Bay by Puducherry
(Pondicherry). Puducherry is on the south west side of India. Congratulations
to our “Puducherrian” Rotarian for successfully hosting the very first SCAW distribution
in this area today. The children were very appreciative.
There was a new first for me too. All 500
bed kits had to be moved from their storage at the back of the meeting hall to
the outside parking lot. A human chain moved that mountain of bedkits first
before we could even hand them out to the children.
There was great excitement when the
“Minister” of the area came in support of the project. His political status
gave a huge boost to our project for the children under his watchful eye.
Many
highschool girls Red Cross Junior Helpers, had the opportunity to help too. Our
team monitored each station as they
honoured their duties perfectly.
Thank you Rotary Club of Puducherry for
joining the SCAW family of distribution sites. Your efforts are well
appreciated by the children in your neighbourhood.
Marg for Team Chennai 2016
Kolkata: Purulia
Today's distribution highlighted how needy the children are in this area. Many arrived in bare feet, but welcomed the food and drinking water that was supplied by the Rotarians in Purulia.
After their lunch, the children washed their feet and put on their new shoes from the bedkit. It actually became hot for the first time since we arrived and the children were able to remove their fleece jackets and we were able to see all the colourful dresses and smart shirts that they were wearing.
Some of these children had been up very early to get to us on time. One little boy told us that he had walked 2 kilometers to school to get on a bus (with his class mates and teacher) to travel the 70 kilometers to our distribution. He then would have to repeat that to get home!
Team Kolkata 2016
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After their lunch, the children washed their feet and put on their new shoes from the bedkit. It actually became hot for the first time since we arrived and the children were able to remove their fleece jackets and we were able to see all the colourful dresses and smart shirts that they were wearing.
Some of these children had been up very early to get to us on time. One little boy told us that he had walked 2 kilometers to school to get on a bus (with his class mates and teacher) to travel the 70 kilometers to our distribution. He then would have to repeat that to get home!
Team Kolkata 2016
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Chennai: Kilpauk
Today is Republic Day in India, a holiday to recognize the day that India's Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950. For our SCAW team it meant a quieter day driving to our distribution site at Kilpauk.
We gave out 528 bedkits and the big grins and sparkling eyes of the children surely indicated every child's thrill to hold onto their very own bedkit filled with so many new treasures. Although most of the children do not speak much English, they are eager to practice "Thank you" or "Thanks". On receiving her bedkit today, one eight year old child looked at me so sincerely and said very quickly, "Thank you, you're welcome, how are you, you're cute!" We both got the giggles and shared a special moment before she proudly left for home.
The children were already dressed in their new clothes and eagerly awaited our arrival at the high school. Many parents were also present. We spent some time showing the children what would be in their bundled-up bedkit. So many giggles from the kids as item after item was comically displayed by our leader asleep under the covers and the mosquito net!
We gave out 528 bedkits and the big grins and sparkling eyes of the children surely indicated every child's thrill to hold onto their very own bedkit filled with so many new treasures. Although most of the children do not speak much English, they are eager to practice "Thank you" or "Thanks". On receiving her bedkit today, one eight year old child looked at me so sincerely and said very quickly, "Thank you, you're welcome, how are you, you're cute!" We both got the giggles and shared a special moment before she proudly left for home.
Mid afternoon we left Chennai for a
three hour trip to Puducherry, located further south on the east coast of
India. Along with our hardworking Rotary Club hosts, we will be doing a
distribution there tomorrow.
Patti Jones for Team Chennai 2016
Post your comments here:Kolkata: Sonamukhi
Today was great. The venue was perfectly prepared and the children were organized and very cheerful. We set up in 20 minutes and our Rotarian partners had many children fed, dressed and waiting in line. Without volunteers we would not be able to handle the volume of kids. We finished up in 4 hours and celebrated with a mini banquet provided by the local Rotarians with all the volunteers of the day. We are on the road again.
Chennai: Tiruvallur
Our SCAW team got to sleep in today! Up and on the road for 6:30am so we could get ahead of the chaotic Chennai traffic and on our way to Tiruvallur which is about an hour and a half from our hotel. We had breakfast en route with some of our Rotary partners and learned the traditional Indian way to cool our hot tea.
On arrival at the local high school in Tiruvallur, we were greeted with garlands and warm welcomes. We set up for the bedkit distribution in the school's courtyard. It began to rain so we moved everything in doors and got underway with lots of smiling, happy kids.
The rain stopped so we moved outdoors again and carried on giving out more bedkits to more happy kids.
Throughout all of this, we were very fortunate to have the enthusiastic assistance of numerous students from the high school.
Just imagine 581 smiling kids with bedkits heading home today -- that's the joy of SCAW!
Patti and Dennis for Team Chennai 2016
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On arrival at the local high school in Tiruvallur, we were greeted with garlands and warm welcomes. We set up for the bedkit distribution in the school's courtyard. It began to rain so we moved everything in doors and got underway with lots of smiling, happy kids.
The rain stopped so we moved outdoors again and carried on giving out more bedkits to more happy kids.
Throughout all of this, we were very fortunate to have the enthusiastic assistance of numerous students from the high school.
Just imagine 581 smiling kids with bedkits heading home today -- that's the joy of SCAW!
Patti and Dennis for Team Chennai 2016
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Belgaum: On Our Way!
Our journey to India
has begun and we’re sitting at YVR waiting to board the big plane. We had a
great conversation with the cab driver, Raju, who happens to be from
Punjab, India, and I think that Kate may have recruited him as a future SCAW
volunteer. He was very excited at the possibility. His fluency in Hindi would
be a huge benefit on a distribution I would think because my two words, namaste
and challo, won't get me too far.
Now boarding!!!
Belgaum: Post your comments here:
As a courtesy, please add your name to the end of your comments.
Kolkata: Distribution 5 - Durgapur
The SCAW team had one whole moment of rest while this photo was taken, before our distribution started. For a moment, we were clean, neat and tidy. It sure didn't last for long...!
Team Kolkata 2016
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Team Kolkata 2016
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Chennai: Nellore!
An
early morning start (6;00 and still dark). As we drive north just inland from
the Bay of Bengal, the fog and mist are just starting to burn off to reveal the
lush green rice paddies and bamboo plantations. After a great breakfast with
our Rotarian hosts, we get down to work (it’s not really work, it’s fun).
We are greeted by our local volunteers, the
students from the school we are using, to help us. The children who have been
selected for the bedkits are arriving from the needier areas and lining up for
the process- sizing, posing, photographing, and receiving their bedkits. With
a king sized smile they carry their treasure to their parents and they sit down
together for lunch. After lunch, under the watchful eyes of the Guardians of The Gate (AKA the sacred cows),
they pack themselves and their gear into their vehicles and head for home. They
will sleep well tonight!
Wayne Cooper for Team Chennai
Kolkata: Distribution 4 - Kamarhati
Namaskar:
We had a great day! 571 very happy children received their bedkits. It was a glorious, cloudless, warm day and the Rotarians in this club were ultra efficient and very mindful about providing food and drinks for the children and their parents while they were waiting.
Don was doing the interviews with the parents, finding out what they thought about the gift they received. They were all overwhelmed. All the families were exceedingly poor and most slept on the dirt floor in their homes. The donation of the mattress and blanket would make a huge difference as they have no heat in their homes, and the temperature at this time is very cold, for them.
We are off to bed early tonight as we will be leaving the hotel at 6.30 on a 3-day road trip to the west of Kolkata tomorrow.
Shuberateri (Goodnight)
Team Kolkata 2016
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We had a great day! 571 very happy children received their bedkits. It was a glorious, cloudless, warm day and the Rotarians in this club were ultra efficient and very mindful about providing food and drinks for the children and their parents while they were waiting.
Don was doing the interviews with the parents, finding out what they thought about the gift they received. They were all overwhelmed. All the families were exceedingly poor and most slept on the dirt floor in their homes. The donation of the mattress and blanket would make a huge difference as they have no heat in their homes, and the temperature at this time is very cold, for them.
We are off to bed early tonight as we will be leaving the hotel at 6.30 on a 3-day road trip to the west of Kolkata tomorrow.
Shuberateri (Goodnight)
Team Kolkata 2016
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Chennai: Bedkit Bloopers!
Early morning rising and long van rides can lead to "mis-takes” of the bed kit photos. Can you find the mistakes in these pictures?
Team Chennai 2016