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Our distributions don’t happen in isolation but in the world the children know and live in.
Team Kolkata 2018
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Street markets of beautiful produce laid out on the sidewalk sacred cows
busy and noisy traffic
hand laundry
free ranging dogs and puppies...many puppies.
Then these children turn up with smiles, mischief and wondrous joy as they receive the large and wonderful bedkits to give them sweet dreams and hopes for tomorrow thanks to all our donors. Bless you every one.
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Today was a successful day for the SCAW team. We completed a 700 kit distribution at the Sudhir Memorial Institute in Kolkata together with the Rotarians and volunteers. The children were wonderful and watching them receive their kits brought us all such joy. Some of the recipients today came from an orphanage and from social services.
We also toured the facility where the bedkits are stored and assembled. The building is close to the Sudhir Memorial Institute and will be completed as a new hospital built by the Rotarians.
Sometimes bedkit distributions can be dirty work and from time to time we need each other for a cleanup. Teamwork is how all these great things happen.
Team Kolkata 2019
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Sometimes bedkit distributions can be dirty work and from time to time we need each other for a cleanup. Teamwork is how all these great things happen.
Team Kolkata 2019
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The second distribution took place at Kholisakota. This was a new site and 340 SCAW children received their bed kits in this new environment. This sight was special as the team could see the faces of not only the SCAW children but their parents. The smiles and ‘thank yous’ were seen and felt by each team member. A Great Day!
Team Kolkata 2018
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Seven eager SCAW volunteers met at Pearson Airport in Toronto on January 8th
for the long flight to Delhi, India. After that 13 hour flight and another 9 hour wait, we flew to Kolkata. Finally at our destination, we were met by the host Rotarians with the traditional welcome of oil and candle as well as fragrant leis with jasmine and roses.
Tonight we meet with Rotary Club members for final preparations. We are excited to meet the children at our first distribution tomorrow. Please stay tuned for our blogs as we work with the Rotarians to bring the gift of a good night’s sleep to 7,000 children.
Team Kolkata 2018
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for the long flight to Delhi, India. After that 13 hour flight and another 9 hour wait, we flew to Kolkata. Finally at our destination, we were met by the host Rotarians with the traditional welcome of oil and candle as well as fragrant leis with jasmine and roses.
Tonight we meet with Rotary Club members for final preparations. We are excited to meet the children at our first distribution tomorrow. Please stay tuned for our blogs as we work with the Rotarians to bring the gift of a good night’s sleep to 7,000 children.
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| Marg Garrett, Judy Dryden, team leader, Sue Small, Francis Thomas, Sally Jo Martin, Jean Macnab, Nancy Loveless |
Team Kolkata 2018
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As a courtesy to our travelling team, please add your name to the end of your comment(s).
With the bedkit distribution over there were just couple of items to complete before the team headed home. We held a post-distribution meeting with our Overseas Partners (Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment) when we reviewed the current distribution; followed shortly by a wrap-up meeting with members of all the Rotary Clubs involved in the "Children's Bliss Project" in attendance
Well deserved recognition was given to those Rotarians who had contributed their time, energy, and enthusiasm to make this project the success that it was. A classical Indian dance presentation was beautifully performed by Pankaj's daughter-in-law Abhidnya. An absolute honour to watch. Several Rotary wives demonstrated a local folk-dance ...encouraging team members to join in.
Our final destination was to a school in Ashtapur followed by visits to several of the children's homes. The school was well equipped for the thirty students in attendance. Brightly decorated classrooms, wall charts, books, and toys created a wonderful learning environment for the children.
Their homes were very similar to each other. One large room approx 15' x 15' served as the bedroom with the family generally sleeping on the cement floor. Alongside this room, a second area approx. 15' x 6' was for food preparation. An outside wood-fueled fire pit was used for cooking. One house did have a two burner gas stove. Electricity was in all these homes.
One child lived with her Grandfather as her Mum had died. She had all of her last year's bedkit items neatly stacked on her bed.
In a second home we found a Grandmother raising her two granddaughters, following the death of her daughter. She showed us some of the items from last years bedkit.
A third house was home to a Mum and her two children, husband, and Grandfather. Their fire pit was inside their home. The fourth visit was home to three children, Mother and Father.
The most basic shelter was a straw and twigs A-frame built by the family, with a dirt floor and no electricity. A Mother and two children lived here.
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Today, with 1002 children in Haveli, the team completed the distribution of 7,502 bed-kits to the needy children across eight sites in Pune. Inside the school, students dancing, drumming and playing the lejhim, welcomed us.
After the official introductions, more students demonstrated traditional Maharashtra dances. We were truly honoured to witness these elegant, colourful artists.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all those Rotarians and volunteers in and around Pune who worked tirelessly for many months to prepare for this event.
All this would not be possible without those generous donors who provide the gift of a bed-kit and a smile to all these children. Many thanks
For the children,
Team Pune 2018
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After the official introductions, more students demonstrated traditional Maharashtra dances. We were truly honoured to witness these elegant, colourful artists.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all those Rotarians and volunteers in and around Pune who worked tirelessly for many months to prepare for this event.
All this would not be possible without those generous donors who provide the gift of a bed-kit and a smile to all these children. Many thanks
For the children,
Team Pune 2018
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After our factory visits yesterday, we continued farther out of Pune in to the countryside toward today’s distribution site at Mhaswad. What a refreshing change from the traffic, noise and hectic pace of the city. People along the way were working hard to farm their land and tend their herds of cows and goats. This is an area rich in fertile soil for many crops like sugar cane and corn. We arrived in Mhaswad just a day or so after a festival and the village roads were still a blaze of purple dye. Curious villagers congregated to welcome us and try to understand what this group from Canada was all about. Because we had spent 2 days traveling out of the city, it was a long 4 hour drive back to our hotel. However long the days, we keep reminding ourselves that we have now made 6500 children and their families very happy. Tomorrow is another day with the last 1000 kits to deliver!
For the children
Team Pune 2018
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Today was a day off from distribution and we took advantage of our time by visiting two of the suppliers for the sleeping kits.
Mr. Patel provided the clothing for the children from his 250 square foot workroom which has if I counted right, 12 sewing machines. He has 6 or 7 people here but he also has another space with 10 employees as well as he contracts out to individual seamstresses who work at home. The electricity was out when we visited, which apparently is common and when that happens, work carries on at nights to meet deadlines. Mr. Patel showed us samples of his other work including uniforms, which looked great and provided chai during our visit.
We then drove out to a fully automated industrial plant that provided the kit containers, a polymer sack. This company is world competitive in the eco-friendly bio-degradable wrapping market. They pay their employees better than the government mandated minimum wage of 450 rupees or 9$C per day.
The local and Pune rotary clubs and the SCAW then went out to lunch to a great team building experience.
Below are pics of Mr. Patel, his sop and the polymer making equipment with the CEO.
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Our sixth day of distribution started, as always with a warm reception by the local hosts. To the sound of drumming we were fitted with our pink headdresses before mounting beautifully adorned horses to ride to the venue where 750 excited children and their parents awaited us.
Following the requisite introductions by the Rotarians, our team leader explained and showed the content of the sleeping kit to the wide-eyed audience.
The venue, a newly constructed community hall, allowed us to set up a very efficient distribution flow under a covered roof, which kept us out of the unbearably hot sun. The local organizers did a fantastic job of determining the flow which enabled the distribution to go quickly and efficiently, before we all gathered, around 5 p.m. for our joint lunch with our Rotarian partners.
Team Pune 2018
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We travelled out of Pune today to Bigwan where we were paraded into the grounds in a Jeep. We were working in a beautiful wedding hall therefore the children, parents, and the team were out of the sun!!
It was a pleasure to give out 759 bedkits to these very excited kids! We ended the day with a boat ride on the lake to see a beautiful flock of flamingos. So calm and peaceful after a busy day.
Team Pune 2018
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It was a pleasure to give out 759 bedkits to these very excited kids! We ended the day with a boat ride on the lake to see a beautiful flock of flamingos. So calm and peaceful after a busy day.
Team Pune 2018
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Today was a rest day and the team had the opportunity to visit the Shaniwarwada- a stately mansion built in Pune by the Peshawar in the 18th century at a cost of Rs.16,110. In 1758 there were 1,000 people living in the palace area. Destroyed by fire in 1828 which burned for 8 days. Only the granite ramparts, teak gateways and stone foundations survived.
Interaction with children ongoing. Our guide was a local Rotarian who explained that Sundays are family time and we encountered many groups of families as we toured the grounds.
We then visited the Hindu Majaraj Shinde Temple located just outside Pune where the great Shinde who fought and won against the British army at Vadgaon lies.
Team Pune 2018
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Interaction with children ongoing. Our guide was a local Rotarian who explained that Sundays are family time and we encountered many groups of families as we toured the grounds.
We then visited the Hindu Majaraj Shinde Temple located just outside Pune where the great Shinde who fought and won against the British army at Vadgaon lies.
Team Pune 2018
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A memorable entrance into Kadus today! After being fitted with bright pink turbans, the team were carried to the school in highly decorated bullock carts, lead by drumming and dancing students. What an honour!
A cloud of brightly coloured balloons were released before the distribution of 1,000 bedkits to wide-eyed children began.
At the end of their hectic day, the children with their Mums and Dads made their way home.....by many means: riding in tuk-tuks, sharing a truck, piling onto motor-bikes, but with the vast majority walking happily down the dusty road, bedsit often carried sedately atop their heads.
Team Pune 2018
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Another one thousand of Maharashtra's children received their bedkits today. The entire day was a hectic swirl of colour and activity, starting with a welcoming troupe of singing, dancing and drumming students who lead the team into the school.
Mothers, aunties, and grandmothers wearing brilliantly hued saris and shalwar kameez created a exotic rainbow of colours as their children accepted their bedkits after sitting patiently for their photo to be taken.
An intricate rangoli made of various coloured sands formed a welcome carpet at the entrance to the school where the distribution took place.
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1968 bed kits given out so far! The need here is so great and all the children and parents are thrilled to receive the bed kits.
They respond with “WOW!” when we show them each item.
Before each distribution begins, we are treated to some joyful singing, traditional dances and customs unique to this region.
Our Rotarian partners make sure we have water and fruit during the day and then treat us to a delicious local meal when our day is done. And then there are the many stops along the way for cups of steaming masala chai tea!
5532 bed kits to go and we are all so excited for every child whose smiling face warms our hearts!
Team Pune 2018
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They respond with “WOW!” when we show them each item.
Our team is working hard, not only to complete all the necessary jobs, but to make sure we spend time interacting with these beautiful children and their families.
Before each distribution begins, we are treated to some joyful singing, traditional dances and customs unique to this region.
Our Rotarian partners make sure we have water and fruit during the day and then treat us to a delicious local meal when our day is done. And then there are the many stops along the way for cups of steaming masala chai tea!
5532 bed kits to go and we are all so excited for every child whose smiling face warms our hearts!
Team Pune 2018
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2 hours of driving took us to Meltham where the SCAW team received a warm and ceremonial reception.
After the welcoming speeches, beautiful performance by dancing girls and a showing of the content of the bedkit by our team leader, the distribution started. The flow of the children from changing thru to the giving out of the kits was already arranged by the local rotary clubs.
We learned the marathi word "hassa" meaning smile while taking the pictures. Later the team was provided with lunch where we improved our skills in eating with our fingers.
Team Pune 2018
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After the welcoming speeches, beautiful performance by dancing girls and a showing of the content of the bedkit by our team leader, the distribution started. The flow of the children from changing thru to the giving out of the kits was already arranged by the local rotary clubs.
968 kits were distributed flawlessly.
The excitement was electric in the schoolyard as the children and parents walked away with the bedkits.
Team Pune 2018
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After a two hour drive we arrived at our first Pune distribution site where we were presented with traditional headdresses and welcomed and escorted to the stage by traditional music played by young ladies in traditional dress.
We sat on the stage for the formal start of the distribution, which included greetings from local officials and by our team leader, Chris Hills, while the young recipients eagerly watched and waited.
Close to one thousand bedkits were distributed by SCAW members; the children received a large bag with handles with the bedkit items inside, plus a backpack filled with school items and a pair of shoes each. The recipients also received eye examinations sponsored by our Rotary hosts. Each child was accompanied through the lines by a parent or other guardian, which made the handing over of the bedkit much easier for the children whose eyes literally popped open and they broke into a wide grin when they were able to grab the handles of the bag.
Team Pune 2018
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We sat on the stage for the formal start of the distribution, which included greetings from local officials and by our team leader, Chris Hills, while the young recipients eagerly watched and waited.
Close to one thousand bedkits were distributed by SCAW members; the children received a large bag with handles with the bedkit items inside, plus a backpack filled with school items and a pair of shoes each. The recipients also received eye examinations sponsored by our Rotary hosts. Each child was accompanied through the lines by a parent or other guardian, which made the handing over of the bedkit much easier for the children whose eyes literally popped open and they broke into a wide grin when they were able to grab the handles of the bag.
Team Pune 2018
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The packing of the bedkits was scheduled for Sunday.We split the team and half stayed closer to the city and half of us went to Bhagwan.
Everyone was very excited.Roterians,their families,and volunteers attacked these mountains of pillows, blankets, etc.After many hours of hard work by 100+ people, 7500 bedkits are ready to go!!!
Team Pune 2018
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Everyone was very excited.Roterians,their families,and volunteers attacked these mountains of pillows, blankets, etc.After many hours of hard work by 100+ people, 7500 bedkits are ready to go!!!
Team Pune 2018
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There was nothing scheduled today until 5PM so the team took advantage of the free time to take their first tuk tuk ride and visit the Agakhan Palace where Gandhi was imprisoned from 1942-44 along with his wife and secretary. Then at 5pm we met for a pre-distribution meeting with the local rotary club president and the committee in charge of the SCAW project. Following the brief meeting we joined the local club and representatives of the 12 other clubs involved for a get together and dinner.
Team Pune 2018
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Team Pune 2018
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