Tanzania: Welcome to Tanzania!

Due to the generosity of donors supportive of Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW), another 3,000 bedkits were funded and will be distributed in Tanzania between November 8 & 15, 2017.  Team Tanzania 2017 B, consisting of Doug MacDougald, team lead and members Gary Jewitt, Carol and Joep Diening, travelled to Dar es Salaam and were met at the airport by Mama Wandoa, Wendy Aaron and her son Jerome who are members of our Overseas Partner Volunteers group, Upendo Information and Counselling Centre.

Doug MacDougald, Gary Jewitt, Carol Diening,  Mama Wandoa, Joep Diening

Travelling from Toronto took us around 17 hours flying time over the day and a half of travel to get to Dar es Salaam, a large city with a population of about 5 ½ million people.  Given that Dar es Salaam is about 420 miles south of the equator and on the shores of the Indian ocean, the climate is fairly consistent: hot and humid with almost even hours of daylight and night.

Today was our day to get organized for tomorrow’s start of the distribution of 600 bed kits.  We visited one of the companies that supplies bedkit materials for the children as part of the audit process to ensure that the high quality of the bed kits is maintained.  UNOPLAST (T) Ltd under the name BANCO makes the mattresses for the children and has been doing so for the last 16 of 17 years that SCAW has done bedkit distributions in Tanzania.  They showed us how and where the mattresses are made and the materials used.  We also met some of the folks doing the hard work.  Company owner and management personnel, Davesh Dave and Deepak Desai were very proud of the company’s involvement and are very supportive of SCAW.  They sell the mattresses that they make to SCAW at cost, provide free transportation of the mattresses to the distribution site and provide some of the labour handling the mattresses.  And the quality of the mattresses has proven over the years to be excellent.

Gary Jewitt, Deepak Desai, Mama Wandoa, Carol Diening,  Joep Diening, Davesh Dave, Doug MacDougald

We next visited a cottage industry site, where the shorts and skirts that are part of the Tanzanian bed kit are made.  The majority of the bed kit materials are locally sourced which provides both employment and economic benefit within the community.

Cottage Industry Personnel Making Shorts and Skirts for Bedkits

This evening we held our team meeting in preparation for tomorrow’s first full day of distribution.  We feel ready and should be fully rested when we get up early to start the day.  More to come…..

Joep Diening for Team Tanzania 2017

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Honduras: Rotoract's Last Day of Distribution & Pajama Day!!

The amazing rotoracts hosted the last day of distribution, by focusing on the SCAW mandate of getting a good night's sleep by coming to work in their pajamas! Some of the team members joined in the fun by wearing their pj's as well! The rotoracts outdid themselves again with their great work ethic and wonderful interaction with the young recipients. At the conclusion of the distribution, the rotoracts presented the team members with a gift of a picture of them in action, as well as a beautiful candle crafted in Honduras. We will remember fondly our 2 weeks spent with these wonderful young people distributing 5000 bed kits!!!

Signing off from Honduras!!
Team Honduras 2017
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Honduras: By the Numbers in Honduras

Tonight we were invited to the Rotarians' weekly meeting. The main agenda was to discuss Sleeping Children's history and success in Honduras. And what a success it has been! To date,  over 2.5 million dollars (US) has been donated and over 77 000 bed kits have been distributed to needy Honduran children. 

At the end of the night, the SCAW travelling volunteers received a certificate of appreciation from the Rotarians. 

Team Honduras 2017
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Honduras: Bouncing Along With A Smile!!

So many happy children bouncing out of the schoolyard with their new bedkits! We all want to thank our donors for bringing smiles to so many faces. Here are a few of the kids you have helped get a good night’s sleep. 

We were able to visit the homes of four children who received bedkits last year. The bedkit items were being used, and the families were happy to show us their home. It was a bumpy dirt road and a steep hike to get there, but we were all glad to be given the opportunity to get a closer perspective on the home life of the children. 

Team Tanzania 2017
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Honduras: All About The Children!!

Today was all about the children. We travelled to a quaint little town where we were greeted by 500 happy children and their families. These pictures tell us exactly why we are here. Whether they are waiting patiently in line or anxiously pointing to their favourite pattern, we know they will sleep well tonight and arrive at school tomorrow with new clothes and new school supplies. 

The most popular bedkit today was the 'minion print' with many children asking for it. We ended the day with these lucky children.

But these aren't the only smiles we see, our group of Rotarians, Rotaracts and extra helpers leave knowing that we all had a part in creating the smiles on those 500 children. 

Team Honduras 2017

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Honduras: Steps in the Right Direction!!

We just finished day 6 of our 2017 Sleeping Children Around the World bedkit distribution in Honduras and I’m pleased to say that another 500 children are getting a “Better Night’s Sleep” in this developing country. 

Today, we travelled approximately 50 miles outside of Tegucigalpa to a rural area called Comayagua where the social network is not as forgiving as a major city.  The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa partnered with the Rotary Club of Comayagua to coordinate a bedkit distribution, so that the children in this region could receive a bedkit from a donor in Canada.  The children in this community were challenged by malnutrition, poverty and a lack of opportunity on a much greater scale then what we had experienced the first 5 days of this distribution.  Despite their challenges the children were so appreciative of the bedkit and all the items that would provide them with a better life and sleep.

After the distribution was completed, we had a chance to formally meet the Rotary Club of Comayagua and its’ members and they were so appreciative of our efforts to assist them in this service project.  They are a growing Rotarian Club and they would like to develop a better partnership to make the SCAW bedkit distribution at Gracious a Dios elementary school an annual event.  As well, the Rotarians shared with us that their club was celebrating its’ 40^th anniversary and this was their last service project of their year.

Later on that evening, as we returned to Tegucigalpa, I realized that the key to our future success in Honduras will be our ability to partner with oversee volunteers that are committed to allowing SCAW to spread the message of how it is so important to get a “Good Night’s Sleep”.  The opportunity to have the Rotarians from Comayagua participate is definitely a step in the right direction.

Regards,

Sieg Will for Team Honduras 2017
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Honduras: Student Entertainment!!

What a wonderful surprise for us when we began Day 5 distribution at Escuela Republica de Honduras! After finishing our setting up, we were entertained by a group of students in traditional dress performing a Latino dance! Their costumes and make-up were very colourful, and their footwork and dance moves were graceful! We truly appreciated their hard work and practice to make us feel welcome!

Another surprise awaited us during this distribution! Some students had made thank you cards and origami butterflies, as a token of their appreciation for receiving their bedkits! That gesture on their part, truly made this day special for the team!

Team Honduras 2017
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Honduras: Laughter and Smiles!!

Laughter and smiles ... a successful day of bed kits being received by both boys and girls!

Time for fun ... an opportunity to play the parachute game.

Time to test your skill at making creative designs with the ribbon stick

We enjoyed an evening as guests the Teatro Nacional Manuel Bonilla.

Team Honduras 2017
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Honduras: A Special Day!

Another great day, with much anticipation from all of the students! It was wonderful to experience integration of special needs students at today's distribution. It was humbling to see the loving display of acceptance and educational opportunities for all the children today.

Team Honduras 2017
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Honduras: Joyful Stories in Pictures!

These pictures tell part of the joyful story of our day.  We arrived at the boy's school to meet our very excited bedkit recipients!

This whole team of teachers, Rotarians, Rotaracts, and SCAW team members all work together for the kids. 

This is one of the many Rotaract whose youthful enthusiasm and tremendous work ethic makes the day fun for all the volunteers and kids.

This teacher told us about his experiences with his 27 boys in his grade 1 classroom and the sleep education that they are taught at school. 

This mom told us about the challenges she and her son face, and how her 9 year old son often gets only 4 hours of sleep each night.

Our team had a great time with the kids today! 

These kids were loving their new bedkits!  

Our team was also able to visit one of the local manufacturers of the bedkit items where we learned about this small cottage industry business and the young owner who works hard to give back to his community.  A great day had by all!

Team Honduras 2017
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Honduras: A Day of Smiles!!

The thrill of the journey has begun! Thanks to the SCAW donors we were able to enrich the lives of 450 girls today from an all girls school! It's pretty obvious how excited they were to each receive this gift of good sleep! Tomorrow we will do the same for 450 boys and we can't wait!

Team Honduras 2017
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Tanzania: Farewell and Lala Salaam Children!

Our distribution has wrapped up successfully and 5,500 children will sleep better and be protected from malaria!  Our last day went very smoothly, even with a couple of interruptions from rain showers. The children were delightful.

Kay found a kindred spirit in song and organized the children for photos.
Lyle gave mattresses to the children and rocked with getting children ready for photos.
Linda kept us on track and made sure our photo count was perfect.
Donna talked with parents about sleep and entertained the children with puppets.
Ruth gave each child a warm and loving greeting as she put the backpacks on the children.
And Lyndsay got some great photos and video for SCAW's marketing partner MAVERICK to use in upcoming SCAW projects.

As Team Leader, I had an amazing, hard-working team!

We want to sincerely thank our Overseas Volunteer Partners. Without Mama Wandoa, Wendy, Benjamin and their team of dedicated volunteers, this distribution would not happen.

So "Lala Salaam" (sleep well) children in Tanzania.

Helen Scutt for Team Tanzania 2017
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Tanzania: Hot, Hot Weather!!

Before our 7:00 am departure for the second last distribution, we loaded three hockey bags and two knapsacks filled with donations from generous friends and family (hats, flip flops, shoes, t-shirts, sunglasses, school supplies and sports equipment). Lyle used metres and metres and metres of rope to 'hogtie' the bags to the top of the van. The bumpy roads and huge potholes were no match for Lyle's knots!

Even though the distance to Mwangaza school was relatively short, the trip turned into an 1 1/2 adventure because there are almost NO street signs and Tanzania does not have GPS. When we FINALLY arrived at the school, the overseas volunteers greeted us with smiles, laughter and huge hugs.

Today was the hottest day yet with absolutely no breeze in the school's inner courtyard! The temperature was 33 degrees celsius with incredible humidity! We will NEVER EVER complain about the heat and humidity in SW Ontario again!

Following the distribution, we delivered the bags of donations to Matumaini school- a residential school for children with physical disabilities (ages 7-21). Since 1969, this incredible facility has been operated by the Salvation Army. Of the 210 children, 57 are albino. Sixteen teachers provide Form 1-7 education for all and almost all graduates advance to two designated high schools in Tanzania. Some regular supplies, like food are funded by Salvation Armies around the world, including Canada. A new boys dormitory is close to completion and Lt. Thomas Siana is seeking donations for metal framed bunk beds ($360 Canadian) as bedbugs pose a problem with wooden beds.

We were moved by the compassion of the staff and the caring actions of the students toward each other. Having seen some of the conditions from where these children came, it is heartwarming to see them In a place that can better accommodate their uniqueness. God bless!


Ruth Sealey & Kay McLean for Team Tanzania 2017
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Tanzania: Another Day in Paradise!!

Another day in paradise!  The skies were blue and the temperatures were warm.  Does it get better than this?

Today's distribution of 785 bedkits was at Kibamba Elementary School outside of Dar.  The traffic was much better -- hence the travel time was much better -- than what we experienced on the earlier distributions which makes a big difference when every seat is filled in the van!  The school was built on a hillside so setup on level ground was a problem but not insurmountable.  When I wandered to the back school it was clear that soccer wasn't the game of choice at recess!

As usual the children, moms and dads were elated to see us.  They listened attentively to the introductions and applauded in their own inimitable fashion to our distribution.  The children were well behaved and smiled at the drop of a hat with little or no encouragement.  It was a pleasure to see happy faces! 

There were two other things that struck me.  First was the number of "thanks you's" I heard in dispensing bedkits and mattresses.  When I inquired of a few children it appears that English is taught -- which it was at previous schools -- but also emphasized especially in circumstances as this.  Maybe it was rehearsed but it was nice to see the children taking risks with my language and encouraged me to continue taking risks with theirs!  Second was the friendships and camaraderie afforded the disabled children.  Their friends were excellent at guiding them through the process at the pace required of the disability.  I hope that sense of friendship continues with them forever!

Despite the fact that the clouds were white and fluffy, being of the cumulus kind, there were a couple of very short cloudbursts.  Not only did they not disturb the enthusiasm, they provided a welcome respite from the heat of the day.  With the slope of the hill, there weren't many trees and hence no shade.  

The day was wonderful, the children were wonderful and the impact of our efforts were noticeable.  Another beautiful day in paradise!

Lyle McLean for Team Tanzania 2017

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Tanzania: Day 3 of Distributions!!

Our third day of distribution went very well at the school in Chanzige.  We had some extra helpers today, as Benjamin's family has joined us from the UK. Although we had a small rain interruption, we successfully distributed 785 bedkits.

On our way back to our home base, we visited the factory where all of the bedkit mattresses are made. We were able to see how the foam is made, and some of the chemicals are from Quebec, Canada. The foam is then cut and covered with brightly coloured fabric and wrapped in plastic to protect it.

Mr. Davesh Dave and Mr. Dipak Desai were very gracious hosts. They have been supplying the mattresses for 16 of the 17 years SCAW has been distributing bedkits in Tanzania. They also donate the transportation of the mattresses to each distribution site and provide 50 extra mattresses for Mama Wandoa to distribute during the year. We were pleased to share with the representatives from Unoplast that SCAW had purchased a bedkit in memory of Mr. Paresh, a wonderful man who will be greatly missed.

And on a personal note, this distribution is extra special for me this year, as my daughter Lyndsay is on the team.

By Helen Scutt forTeam Tanzania 2017

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Tanzania: A Culture Filled Day!

Today is Sunday so there are no bedkit distributions. You might think we got to sleep in and relax but NO ...church began at 7:00 and lasted until 11:00.

It was an honour to attend Mama Wondoa's church, Magomeni Mviringo Lutheran in Dar es Salaam. This new church building was started in 2012 and although it is still a work in progress, the building is used every Sunday and throughout the week for a variety of programs including a 6:00-7:00 a.m. 'Praise and Prayer' service for daily encouragement.

Attendance on Sundays averages around 800-1000. The Sunday School roll includes 285 children with an average of 100 each Sunday. We had the opportunity to visit the Sunday School where we entertained them with a song and they entertained us.

Today was a special service lead by the young people ( ages 18-35) with music and drama. Three church choirs and two visiting youth choirs sang and danced-the acoustics were amazing with the open air sanctuary that soared five storeys high. The congregation responded to each performance with the ' Trinity Clap' (three claps; Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The SCAW team was welcomed by the pastor and introduced to the congregation.

The afternoon was spent at two craft markets where we were able to watch artisans at work and make purchases to take home to family and friends.

Ruth Sealey and Linda Straus forTeam Tanzania 2017

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Tanzania: Exploring Zanzibar

Since bedkit distributions in Tanzania take place at rural schools, today most of the team booked a personal day trip to Zanzibar. It was a very exciting and eventful day full of amazing sights, sounds and smells. The morning was spent touring Stone Town. Our guide Sahid was a wealth of historical information about the island, buildings, its people and its markets-fish, meat, fruits and vegetables.

After enjoying a tasty Swahili lunch, our guide took us on a very informative walk through a spice farm where we smelled and tasted many spices -lemongrass, peppercorn, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, mace, cloves, nutmeg and cardoman. We stayed at the spice farm a little too long and found ourselves running late. This was further complicated when traffic stopped due to road construction. Given the limited time to get to the ferry, our driver chose to drive down the sidewalk. It made for quite an adventure! Luckily we arrived at the ferry with four minutes to spare.

The return ferry trip to Dar es Salaam took longer than the morning trip of an hour and a half because of strong head winds and very rough water. It was a once in a lifetime adventure on "Spice Island."

Ruth Sealey and Linda Straus for Team Tanzania 2017

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Tanzania: "La La Salama"

Team Tanzania was on the road by 7am this morning. Today would be a big day as we were to deliver 790 bedkits to Sanze Primary School, located about a one hour drive southwest of Dar es Salaam. It is a hilly region with lots of tropical vegetation. The earth is so red due to the iron content in the soil.

When we arrived at the school, many parents and children were there waiting for us with big smiles and waves. Momma Wandoa’s team was already unloading the bedkit supplies. The SCAW team helped to tie up the mattresses to make it easier for the children to carry them home.

The team worked very well on our second day. On this distribution, we have four new team members out of a team of seven, so we have had to develop a fast learning curve. But there is an experienced group of Tanzanian assistants to help out all the SCAW team members.

To be begin the distribution, the children change into their new school uniforms. The colour of the uniforms varies with each school. The children are lined into various size groups for picture taking. Our partner, Mama Wandoa has her team complete this challenging task.

After picture taking the children receive their bedkit and a mattress. I personally had chance to wish them a good night sleep by saying “la la salama”, as they left carrying their new bedkit.

As a retired teacher it was interesting for me to meet two teachers at the school, Zamda Abdallah, grade 5 and Ndimbumi Undongole, Kindergarten  teacher at Sanze Primary School in the village of Kisarawe. We shared information about our teaching experiences and the challenges of the teaching profession.

Today was a wonderful distribution day. We finished early but got caught in traffic on the way back to our lodgings. However, I slept well that night, knowing that 790 children would have a chance to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Donna Henderson for Team Tanzania 2017
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