Philippines: 7000 Bedkits Delivered!

The last day of the distribution and our team is a little on the quiet side. We’re already missing the happy, shy, very well behaved children. We’ve all been touched by getting to know some of the people and seeing where they live. This has been a real eye opener to understanding extreme poverty. We’ve been treated like royalty. Children touching their forehead with our hand “Thank you Po!” Interviewing mothers who try to stretch $3.00/day for feed five people. Meeting very caring, hard working teachers and principals, and enjoying the kidding around, dedication and organization of the Philippine SCAW team and all of their volunteers. These people desperately want SCAW to return. We want everyone receiving a picture of a child and their bedkit to realize that this has made a huge difference in this child’s life! 

  

7000 Bedkits!

Cheers from all of us here in The Philppines!! 

Pamela Horricks

Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Togo: The Value of Flip Flops

It is our first distribution day in Kpalme some 100km north east of Lome. My job today was handing out 500 backpacks containing school supplies, mosquito nets and sundry clothing items to the children. Included in the backpacks are a simple pair of flip flop sandals. As most of the time I was hunched over, eyes fixed downwards to place the back packs upon the happy recipients, I was afforded a wonderful vantage point to observe what these flip flops would be replacing. In some cases worn out sandals. In others, mismatched shoes - in one case two mismatched left shoes and no rights. In some cases, oversized sandals; in others cramped undersized ones. In several cases, children had no shoes at all. One child's worn out sandals finally flipped their last flop and actually gave out at the photo shoot. Happily, a few minutes later, she had a new pair when she received her back pack. At the end of our day at the site, I encountered a young girl going through her backpack and clutching with glee a new bright pink pair of flip flops as if it were Christmas morning and she had just received what she had always wished for - Simple Flip Flops. Just a very small part of what our donors contribute to our recipients. And, as is often discovered,  something that we take more than for granted at home is something that is much cherished here - and very much needed as well.

Stuart for Team Togo 2018

Post your comments here:

Togo: The Team Is Well

I have received an email from Team Togo today who have arrived safely and are working hard. They have finally been able to connect to the internet and have completed 4 distributions!

More blogs to come soon!

Laurie - Blog administrator
for Team Togo 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: Our Almost Last Day!

Left our lovely hotel where all the people on the front desk came outside before we departed to line up and say goodbye...so thoughtful.

The first site we arrived at in the morning appeared totally deserted....do we have the right place??? Seems we were at the wrong side of the building but things were happening out back!! Our volunteers and some SCAW team members had an impromptu dance fest which drew huge smiles from all the onlookers! Great fun. After the distribution we were taken to an outdoor holiday house owned by one of the  Filipino volunteers and fed a wonderful lunch.

Our second site in the afternoon was in a beautiful church, large, bright and airy. Luckily we had the perfect set up inside because the heavens opened up and it POURED! The distribution carried on flawlessly with no diversions. We sure have been lucky but then our team all work well together so there wouldn't be too much that we can't work around. Our days are numbered now as we approach the last double distribution tomorrow of a 1000 kits.

  

'The best view comes after the hardest climb'

Sharon Andrews

Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: Teamwork, Fun & Smiling Kids!

Today was the hottest day of the trip and with the help of many amazing teams and a whole lot of water, we made it through the day with smiles on our faces. In the morning we were treated to wonderful dance performances and songs. After a delicious lunch that was prepared for us by our gracious hosts and volunteers from Kiwanis, we were set for the afternoon. The streets were sizzling with excitement as we arrived to the afternoon distribution, and we enjoyed taking some time to meet and chat with the parents who were waiting for their little ones. It was another successful day of teamwork, fun, and smiling children.

.

  

  

Melissa Baker

Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: Always An Adventure!

We are “on the road again “ for a five hour or “two pit stop” trip to our next destination.After about an hour of driving through tropical lowlands covered in rice fields we take the “zig-zag” road over the mountain through a Philippine National Park to the China Sea. We we re greeted with a tropical rain storm as we drove south along the coast through various oceanfront towns and villages. Suddenly a “blow out tire” and because of the excellent driving skills of our driver all are safe and sound. We arrive at our destination about an hour late but the 400 bedkit distribution goes off without a hitch and there is another 400 happy children and parents.

P.S. Here is our dedicated driver changing our 'blow out tire'.

Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: A Day of Thanks You For This Wonderful Gift!

Another day, another 1000 bedkits, another 1000 happy children who will have a good night’s sleep. Our fifth day of distributions was completed successfully thanks to the amazing work of our overseas partners, SCAW Philippines, and the local Kiwanis volunteers. We even managed to organize 100 children into one photo which was quite an organizational feat. In the afternoon we had the opportunity to speak with 10 young moms with babies to learn about their experiences and challenges. After a day like this the SCAW team was also ready for a good night’s sleep. Written by 

This young man is Janley (7 years old). He is saying: 

"Thank you very much to his donor [for his bedkit he received today]."

This is Galle and her Mom. Galle is seven and received a bedkit today. Her Mom would like to say: "Thank you very much for what you have given us. It is going to be extremely helpful to our family."

Jan Gayman 
Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments:

Togo: All Aboard!!

Team Togo 2018 is enroute for this year's distributions. We are looking to meeting Laurent, Gladys and all of the Action Enfance et Développement (AED) Overseas Volunteer Partners again. Their enthusiasm and ardent support of SCAW makes each distribution a joy as well help more and more children there.

Ian and Stuart Culbertson,

We are at airport waiting on Ricki from Winnipeg. Her is our first pic checking in with our luggage.

All aboard!

Bill & Julie for Team Togo 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: Day 4 – A Song, A Dance, and a Smile!

Today the team had one distribution in the morning before heading to the next town for two more big days. When we arrived at the school we were welcomed by a group of older students singing songs in Acapella. It was such a beautiful way to start the distribution along with some amazing dance performances from the children. There were even some guest dancers who may just look exactly like the members of our SCAW team! After a wonderful morning of handing out bedkits we were treated to a delicious lunch, and then it was time to hit the road for the next adventure. Overall another fantastic day with the children!

Melissa Baker
Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Togo 2018: Post Your Comments Here:

As a courtesy, please add your name to the end of your comment(s).

Philippines: Smiles From All!

The sun was just rising this morning when we left Manila and headed out of the city to our fourth distribution at a local school run by a group of nuns. We were treated to a delicious lunch created by The Sisters and cooked with fresh food from their extensive gardens.

 

Our second distribution in the afternoon was held on campus a local college. We were amazed at the huge numbers of local volunteers at both sites - over 60 in total - who helped in so many ways . The SCAW Philippines Team with their usual attention to detail arranged everything including translating while we conducted interviews with the parents of bedkit recipients. We shared some of our interview notes on the long ride to the hotel. The stories of the families and the gratitude was indeed humbling.

We finally arrived at our hotel around 7:30 pm tired but very grateful for the opportunity have experienced 2 more successful distributions. Tonight we too will sleep well.

Beth Poad

Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: A Big Day!

Big day for SCAW with 2 distributions for a total of 1000 bedkits. Rain threatened in the afternoon but we were lucky and and came through without a drop.Another successful day for the children and all the volunteers. Also , the parents in attendance are as excited as the children and can't thank us enough for what we are doing. It doesn’t get much better than this! 

 

 
Sharon Andrews 
Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: Our First Distribution!

Our first distribution day started out extremely well. While gathering in the foyer, another hotel guest noticed our fuchsia shirts and gave SCAW a lovely donation! We then visited a church, Our Lady Of Good Voyage. We visited a house belonging to Dr Ito to see that the entire house was stuffed from top to bottom with stored bedkits!!! After a meeting and lots of eating, we headed to the school where the children were. Flexibility was the order of the day, because the heavens opened and it poured rain! Our set up was rearranged and 500 happy children went home looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

  

Pamela Horricks for Team Philippines 2018
Post your comments here:

Philippines: We're Here!!

The team arrived and are preparing for the first distribution tomorrow.  500 kits will be delivered to the kids.  Jet lag is almost tamed.  The team is a nice mix of experience and rookies. 

Team members:  (L to R) Ken, Melissa, Sharon, Beth, Jan, Pam, William

Team Philippines 2018

Post your comments here:

Philippines 2018: Post Your Comments!!

As a courtesy, please add your name to the end of your comment(s).

Kenya: Mission Accomplished!

Now that the mission was accomplished we still rose with the birds as Charles our driver took us to Nairobi National Park. It's a 170 square mile park boarding on the outskirts of Nairobi. For game reserves this is would be small so there were no elephants but there were many:

• giraffes,

• zebras, 

• Buffaloes, 

• crocodiles, 
• baboons, 

• monkeys, 
• a baby Python, 
• gazelles, 
• white rhinos, 

• harte beast, 
• eland, 
• wildebeest, 
• waterbucks, 
• warthogs, 
• impala, 
• secretary birds,
• an eagle,
• African spoonbills, 
• a turtle, 
• and the nose of a hippo

Love The 2018 Kenya Team

Post your comments here:

Kenya: Gratitude

We were at the next site by 8:30 am to give out 500 bedkits to the children from Karobangi area. The Children were dressed and waited patiently for their gift from SCAW. We had lots of help and quickly moved into action as we had a second site to deliver to in the afternoon. After the children got their gift, they spent time in a great playground where the shouts of laughter spoke to the pure delight of being a child. 

Each child was special but one child captured our hearts. She came, sat, and smiled from ear to ear. Afterwards she circled our group sharing repeated hugs, laughter, and innocent joy.

We interviewed two parents whose children received bedkits. They were overwhelmed by the generosity of the donors.

We left at 11:30 to move to St Joseph Kangethe Primary School in the slums of Kabera. 500 children were dressed and ready for us to start. We watched as they raised the flag and sang their national anthem.

The teachers and Rotaract were invaluable in making the distribution smooth. The music teacher had the children, who had received their bedkits, sit and create music by using water bottles to hit the mattress. The energy in the air was palpable.

Afterwards we visited with two families who had a child receive a bedkit last year. Both young ladies talked about getting better grades, not getting malaria, and the change in their lives, their gratitude to SCAW and God for looking after them.

Team Kenya 2018
Post your comments here:

Kenya: Smiling Faces

We left Nairobi at 6:30 and after a 5 1/2 hour drive to the beautiful North Rift Valley we reached a school outside Narok where 890 children were waiting patiently. They were separated into two groups, those who were already dressed and waiting for their bedsits and the other children who were looking on. The school also has 250 kindergarten students.

The bedkits had been all assembled and ready to go. Before we began three groups of children performed doing Maasi song and dance.

Then we were ready to fly into operation before the rain came. There was lots of help from the teachers, the Pastor and three military officers. The picture taking and distribution went very efficiently which was to our advantage due to the impending rain and possible road flooding.

We did have time for one of the team to blow bubbles and balloons with the children who didn't receive bedkits.

The school and community were very thankful to our donors for the gift of bedkits. We left 500 happy children.

Due to inclement weather we arrived back in Nairobi after 9 hours. Despite these delays we were happy to have seen such smiling faces who were so proud of their bedkits.

Team Kenya 2018
Post your comments here:

Kenya: Mattresses

After breakfast at the Sikh Temple Makindu  we went to the nearby school to deliver 100 mattresses which hadn't been ready the day before. There were 400 day and boarding students. Again some of the students were in a handicapped unit and there was a quite new computer lab which was used by students Grades 2-8.

We stopped at a coffee/gift stop for a meeting with a headmaster of a school that had received bedkits two years ago. Through the discussion Clarence was able to learn that the student's marks had improved the first year and their days of absence due to illness had decreased. The second year there was not the same improvement because they had lost 50 days due to a leaky roof and illnesses because of their well contamination.

After lunch we drove into Nairobi to a new industrial area to visit the factory which manufactured the mattresses. It was a very interesting tour of a modern, well run facility. The production manager is a Chemical Engineering graduate of Lakehead in Thunder Bay. The 229 employees make all types of mattresses including high end coil and pillow top and have a hard time keeping up with orders.

An interesting day with a long drive and looking forward to breakfast at 5:30 as tomorrow we go north.

Team Kenya 2018
Post your comments here:

Kenya: Finding the Shade

We left at 7 am today and arrived in Makindu four hours later. Once we were out of "the jam" in the city streets, it was a pleasant drive with interesting views. There were herds of cows and goats, sheep, families of baboons, mango orchards and vast areas of what seemed to be reforestation. A bustling marketplace was in full swing along the highway.

We arrived at the Gurudwara Sikh Temple compound where 500 bedkits were stored. Then we walked accross the street to the Siku Temple Hospital grounds where the children from four different schools were waiting patiently.

The temperature increased as we set up the bedkit display. This was turning out to be the warmest day so far. Team members were happy we didn't have to deal with rain but concerned for the children having to wait in the heat of the day. We used all the shade we could find to protect them and and distributed bottled water.

We had three groups of 50 children in a photo, a few smaller numbers, then about 20 groups of 10.

It was a delight to see them on their way back to school for a warm lunch, with their bedkits.

Team Kenya 2018
Post your comments here: