Pune: Assembling Time!
Here are some photos from our bedkit assembly the day we arrived in Pune, India. We assembled over 1500 bedkit items with a number of volunteers. School teachers, Rotarians, and SCAW volunteers all participated.
Team Pune 2017
Post your comments here:
Polar blankets are used to keep the children warm.
Wendy is ready to assemble after receiving a warm welcome.
Volunteers--many volunteers were there to help.
Team Pune 2017
Post your comments here:
Pune: The Team Has Arrived!
Here is our team photo. One of our overseas partners, from the Pune Rotary Club of Cantonment, Pankaj Apte, hosted our team at his home before going to dinner. We are at the "Ladies Club," on Jan 31st, where we had dinner with our Overseas Partners, The Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment. It gave us a chance to meet some of the members of the eight Rotary Clubs who are involved in the distribution with us.
Team Pune 2017
Post your comments here:
From left: Irwin Kelly, Wendy Williams, Dave Morgan, Karen Morgan, Jill Powers, Hilda Stark, Patsy Leamon
Post your comments here:
Pune 2017: Post Your Comments Here:
As a courtesy, please add your name to the end of your comments.
Chennai: Yercaud
Yercaud
is located in the Shevaroy Mountains. It
has been a site for SCAW distributions since 2005.
Today
every 4th level (grade 4) student from 54 schools, including those
schools from tribal areas, within a 32 km radius received a bedkit . This was 290 boys and 255 girls. They received food as well: rice, egg, water and chocolate.
Student
volunteers from the Montfort Anglo Indian School of Yercaud and the Dale
Interact Club from Lady of Veilananni School provided invaluable assistance
with all the jobs.
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:
Kolkata: Thank You!! Mission Accomplished!!
After thirteen days,
5000 happy children have treasured bedkits.
Good-bye Kolkata, India and THANK YOU!!
Post your comments here:
Kolkata: Wheel Primary School
Today, some
of the Kolkata team visited the Wheel Primary School in the heart of
Kolkata. We distributed pencils, pencil
cases and exercise books to the Principal who will distribute them to the
children. There are currently 70
students at the school being taught by six teachers. The six classrooms are very basic but the
children are energetic and happy and all smiles!
Team Kolkata 2017
Post your comments here:
Chennai: Thank You Thangavelu!
Today we visited five
cottage industries that make articles for the SCAW bedkit. Each community
benefits from the production of the SCAW item.
For the last ten years Thangavelu, a SCAW volunteer, has supervised the
production of the SCAW quilt, mosquito net, pillow and t-shirt.
Happy Children!
\
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:
Chennai: Trichy
Our first experience with rain so far, but thankfully
it held off until the last few photos. Over 600 recipients received bedkits…our
largest distribution so far. The Rotarian/SCAW
team’s system ran like a well oiled machine:
line up children, photograph them, put a smiley face on their arm, collect
their identification card and finally they gratefully accept their bedkit!
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:
Chennai: Puducherry
Yesterday was a
travel/rest day so we were all eager to get back to work.
Since all the children
were congregated in one hall, we were able to interact with them as a whole
before handing out 520 bedkits. We had
fun singing songs and doing chants.
Surprisingly they all knew Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Once again the heavens unite us all!
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:
Kolkata: Near and Far!
Children and parents travelling from near
and far by various modes of transportation to get their bedkits. Incredibly, some children travelled for seven
hours, one way! A testament to how
prized a bedkit really is in Kolkata.
Team Kolkata 2017
Post your comments here:Kolkata: Entertaining!
During a big distribution, it is helpful to
keep the children occupied while they wait for their photos and bedkits. Clearly, the SCAW volunteers are having a
good time, too!
Some of the over 900 children waiting for
their photos and bedkits.
Playing catch with the children that are waiting
for their pictures.
Saadoun finally catching a throw from one
of the future professional ball players.
Clapping along with a Rotarian volunteer.
Blowing bubbles was a bit hit with everyone
standing in line.
Team Kolkata 2017
Post your comments here:Kolkata: Lean on me
No matter where we
are, we all need someone to help once in a while. We had plenty of help at our two
distributions today.
The buddy system
begins at an early age
High school students
helping with handing out the bedkits, taking tickets from the back packs and
reuniting the children with their parents.
The Rotariannes
helping with distribution.
Teachers of the future
were on hand to help the children get into their new clothes.
Parents helping to carry the bedkits on the
way home.
Team Kolkata 2017
Post your comments here:
Chennai: Nellore
Five hundred and fifty
more bedkits were handed out today! When
the individual items were held up by our passionate leader, Sue, they cheered
the most for the backpack.
Post your comments here:
Chennai: Kilpauk
Our 4th distribution today was in
Kilpauk at a school very close to our hotel. However, some of the children who
received the bedkits were bussed from great distances…some as far as 90 km.
Most children are dressed in their new clothes when they arrive at the
site. Today some arrived from the
villages dressed in traditional clothing.
On this delivery we had the company of Thiru at the grand age of 89. He was a participant on the first SCAW distribution in Chennai with Murray Dryden 31 years
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:
On this delivery we had the company of Thiru at the grand age of 89. He was a participant on the first SCAW distribution in Chennai with Murray Dryden 31 years
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:
Kolkata: Young Helpers Make a Difference!
The day started with a delicious meal
provided by the Rotarians for the children and parents.
We were very fortunate to have the teenage
leadership students helping in so many ways-guiding and playing with the
children, providing translation and helping with bedkits.
Another successful day ended with big
smiles from all the children.
Team Kolkata 2017
Post your comments here:Chennai: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!
Today the team was led into the school at Tiruvallur today by the
student marching band. It was a spectacular entrance!
Out of 390 bedkits, 370 were singles which afforded SCAW members
lots of one on one contact with the grateful & excited children.
After the delivery, we were honoured to visit the family home of a
recipient, where 7 people live and sleep in one room.
Post your comments here:
Kolkata: Double Distribution Day!
Unloading the bedkits at one of our two distribution sites today.
The girls waiting eagerly in their new
dresses.
I think my dress is nicer than yours! 😊
Finally Saadoun broke the ice with this
lovely girl.
Heading home with a big smile and a bedkit! 😊
Team Kolkata 2017
Post your comments here:
Chennai: T Nagar
Exhilarated with
yesterday’s distribution, and inspired by all the good this incredible Rotarian
group provides for their community, the team headed out for a distribution at
T. Nagar.
The children were
guided through a maze of volunteers from the all girl public school that hosted
SCAW. They looked in awed by the process and were appreciative of the gifts
that were so generously donated.
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:Chennai: Hard at Work!
Day 1 was a huge
success, starting with a sumptuous breakfast cooked and served by the teachers
of the host school in Avadi. Yum!
The Chennai Rotarians
organized efficient and capable student and teacher volunteers who helped the whole
day run smoothly.
After the 681 bedkits
were on the way home with the children, the SCAW team was treated to a demonstration
of chanting by young men who are training to be Tamil priests.
Next stop was the Ambattur Rotary Hospital. Among
other medical procedures it provides an eye clinic, dialysis and physio therapy
for children with cerebral palsy.
Can’t wait for Day 2!
Team Chennai 2017
Post your comments here:Kolkata: Happy Birthday Saadoun!
Today,
we had our pre-distribution meeting with the Rotarians. This was followed by an
opportunity to meet with other members of the Rotary Club of Dum Dum and their
families and enjoy their gracious hospitality. All the details are set to
start our distributions off tomorrow.
We also celebrated the birthday of one of our team members, Saadoun.
Happy
Birthday!
Team Kolkata 2017
Post your comment here: