Philippines: 7000 More Bedkits Distributed!!

Today at our 2nd last distribution we had the honour of listening to 2 blind children who sang wonderful songs to us. 

The whole crew also took the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday to Irwin.

We had some special donations come thru. One was for the Kiwanis Club in Stratford. They had recently hosted a convention in Stratford Ontario and donated use of a booth for SCAW. As a thank you we donated 3 bedkits. It always brings a smile when Kiwanis labels come thru as we have many volunteers from Kiwanis help us thru the years.

We also took the opportunity to celebrate the ‘We the North’ fever on our team

After the distribution we took the opportunity to see the largest and oldest tree in the area. It was the biggest balete tree in Asia. It is 600 yrs old and 60m. Alternate name is the Millennium Tree

At our last distribution we gave out our 7000 bedkit.

Our mascot- lambchop- left us as she seems to enjoy being near the ocean where she can surf the waves.

We did some home visits afterwards. There are 9 children living in this home and the father is going blind. The mother works in Manila and visits every 6 months.

Team Philippines 2019
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Philippines: On The Road Again!!

We are on the road again. We stopped at a distribution and emptied our truck. 

We had a heavy rain during the distribution. 

We are traveling thru the mountains with switchbacks and S curves. It was a 4 hour drive. 

Arrived at our destination by the beach.   The town is known as a tourist destination for surfers.

Team Philippines 2019
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Philippines: Another 900 Bedkits Distributed!!

Another day, another 900 happy children who will sleep better tonight.  `Here is a picture of the last 10 children today.

After our morning distribution we visited several homes of recipients who had just received their bedkit.  This young lady is showing me how she will sleep on her new mattress.  The whole family shares one bed. This girl will now have her own mattress to sleep on.  With this gift she will sleep well and be better prepared for school the next day.

In another home we found a recipient was sharing her new bed with this little one.

The homes we visited today had one small room shared by the family but they were able to do their cooking outside. 

These houses were built beside a river which floods during the rainy season.  This picture shows levels of water.  If it is in the yellow section it means be careful.  In the orange section it means watch out and the red section means get out.  Looking at the level of water in the river right now it is hard to imagine it overflowing its banks. 

That's a wrap for today!

Team Philippines 2019
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Philippines: Always Grateful For Our Oversea's Volunteers!

Today we had 2 distributions giving 900 bedkits out. Both ran smoothly and were balanced. 

Following the morning distribution we went to visit a Church that was was affected by a volcano in 1995. The San Guillermo Parish Church floor is currently 24 Ft above the original floor. Lahar is the ash that covered the church and settled like cement. The Church windows had been high windows and are now below the floor level. We only see the tips of the windows now. Amazingly the church was not destroyed. The front windows became the doors. 

After the second distribution we took a tricycle ride to a mall and to return we took a Jeepney home.   Fortunately we had members of the oversees volunteers with us in each tricycle since we got separated at the mall. Thus we took two separate jeepneys home. We were all home safely with no real worries.  

Irwin Kelly for
Team Philippines 2019
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Uganda: We Did It!!

Well, we did it!  Even though the roads were bumpy and the days were long, we completed twelve consecutive distributions for a total of 7000 bedkits to the children of Uganda.   This would not be possible without the partnership of the Inner Wheel Club of Kampala and Sleeping Children Around the World. These ladies worked tirelessly alongside our wonderful team of seven to provide a better night's sleep to some of the poorest children.   It is our hope that we brought some happiness to 7000 families in Uganda.

Rosanne Waugh

Team Uganda 2019
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Philippines: Travel Day And Distributions!!

While this a travel day we also had two distributions. We had a full van when we started the day at 8:00am and headed north. Our first distribution went like clockwork. Our recipients were overjoyed as were their caregivers. We enjoyed lunch in a beautiful museum across the street from our site. 
We maintained our schedule and even had time for a brief stop at Starbucks, compliments of Sue Orr. Arrived at our second site to a great reception including a traditional Filipino dance. The day went without a hitch and we arrived at our hotel safely.

It all fits!!

Team Philippines 2019
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Philippines: Our Day Off!

Today was a day off from distributions and we visited Vagadan Village.  Many families were housed in a compound with entry through a gate.   We were welcomed by a wonderful woman who was the leader in the village.  As we wandered through the maze of houses we were greeted by many children and adults who were happy to have us visit inside their homes. 

It was interesting to learn that two of the women we spoke to had lived in the village since birth. Most families had several children and the whole family were sharing the small bedroom space sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor. 

The kitchen areas were small with a burner for cooking. 

  

Pumps were shared by families and water was collected in pails to use in the home. 

Visiting this community of welcoming people was a wonderful way to spend our day off.  

Tomorrow we travel north  with distributions in two locations on our way to our next hotel.

Lorna Hedger for

Team Philippies 2019
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Philippines: Day 4

We began at 8 am this morning and arrived at a downtown Church lot covered with tents.   They continued to do mass while we worked out of the parking lot.  We have our 450 kids and everything worked well. We had a tour afterwards of the grounds. 

After a delicious lunch we went to the second site. While we were waiting for the kits to arrive we enjoyed listening to karaoke from the kids.  Another 450 kits were given out and we were blessed to see our systems working to balance kids with kits.  It was a great team effort. 

Tomorrow we will have a day off from distributions and will tour some local areas.  Traffic is always a challenge and the weather is over 35 degrees. We have had thunderstorms almost every night.

Team Philippines 2019
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Uganda: Distribution 11!

After a slight delay to let some thunderstorms pass we headed out to distribution 11 of 12 at Rwijeere Uganda.

Even though the rain had stopped the mud covered roads presented a new challenge. Our bus nearly slid off the road and then got stuck on a hill. After emptying the bus and some skilled driving on the part of Moses, our bus driver, we got underway again through some difficult roads. Travelling to these remote villages reinforces why we distribute bed kits once you see the living conditions and poverty that exists.

Upon arrival we were greeted by a group of parents dancing to traditional Ugandan drum beats.

Once our distribution got under way, things went smoothly and another 585 bedkits were distributed to 585 smiling faces. We were also visited by a flock of chickens that decided to take a closer look at a bedkit and seemed to approve.

Our return trip from the distribution was less eventful although we did see a group of inquisitive Vervet monkeys at the side of the road hoping for a banana to be tossed their way.

Neil Waugh for
Team Uganda 2019
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Philippines: A Successful Day 3!

Another successful day!

In the morning we had our 450 bedkit distribution. The kids were ready and waiting for us and we were blessed to have a group of teenagers dance for us. The distribution went smoothly with many volunteers from SCAW Philipines group and the Kiwanis group. 

After a wonderful lunch we were greeted by 400 children. After the distribution we went to see them piling into vans to be taken back to their local schools.  Even though there is a school break many teachers volunteered their time to take children to the site. 

Every evening it seems we have thunderstorms but they are welcomed as they cool the air that is generally 30 degrees but feels like 35.

Team Philippines 2019
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Uganda: Sharing the Road!

Many of our distributions have taken us out to the country. The red dirt roads, at times, make the term WASH BOARD SURFACE have a real meaning while riding on the minibus. Our bus had to share the road with the other vehicles, motorcycles, bikes, walkers and the cattle. Had to watch out for the goats which were usually tethered near the roadside where they had taller grass and shrubs for them to munch on. 

At these distribution sites out in the country I noticed many bare foot children. The sandals in the bed kits will be put to good use. The homes out in the country changed from being brick structures to small adobe homes and grass thatched huts, at times they were in clusters. They usually had some mango tress, small rows of corn and some other plants which appeared to have been newly planted around their homes. It was so good to travel these country roads to hand out bedkits to these deserving children and families.

Marianne Tomlinson for
Team Uganda 2019
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Uganda: A Limerick from Uganda

There once was a SCAW team from Canada

That volunteered to travel to Uganda

They worked hard with Kampala’s Inner Wheel

Who always prepared a tasty midday meal

Will the children like the bedkits they were bringing?

And the ladies were dancing and singing

Carefully setting up bedkits for the children to view

Including new outfits, red, green, yellow and blue

A mattress, a bucket, bedding, sandals and math set

Thanks to the donors they now have a mosquito net

Posing for a photo with a big smile, you know

At last, free to go home, bedkit in tow

So dear, sweet children of Uganda, we hope you sleep tight

Your new mosquito nets won’t let those bugs bite

We hope you enjoy the bedkits we were bringing

And the Inner Wheel Ladies keep dancing and singing

Karen Bridgman-Acker for

Team Uganda 2019
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Philippines: Home Visits And Interviews

Today after the morning distribution we went to some homes of recipients...  The homes were really 10 x 10 and had 3 children and 2 adults living in them.  There was one bed and the children slept on the floor.  The kitchen consisted of a 2 ft shelf with some pots and pans.  There was one burner.  The closet consisted of everything hanging on the ceiling.  In the “complex” there were 5 homes of similar standard.  They had a storefront where people took turns helping each other.

  
In our morning distribution we had 2 large groups… one of 142 children and one of 93 children. These photos take a little extra time but are really impactful for a group shot. 

The afternoon distribution was slightly delayed  due to traffic issues.  We were lucky as we were undercover as there was a heavy downpour.  We saw first had how important a raincoat can be to them.  

In one of our interviews we had a girl  who was a recipient of a bed kit a few years ago.  She was also lucky enough to have someone help her out with chemo treatments and costs.   She is now 12 years old and an honour student.  She has hopes of being a model or a stewardess.

Ruthe Vibe for
Team Philippines 2019
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Uganda: Masindi

We drove to Kitonozi from Masindi in NW Uganda for today’s distribution of 585 bedkits.  The people here speak a handful of languages including Lunyoro, Swahili, Lugsnda.

Once again, the Inner Wheel team in Uganda had everything on the ground well organized for the distribution.

Kitonozi is located in a rural area whose main industry is sugar cane grows and refining.  It’s an impoverished district with many children (at least 50%) who leave school at 12 or 13 years because their families do not have the equivalent of $20 to $40 a year for compulsory school fees.  Child disease issues are prevalent (eg. ringworm) with no money for child medical attention.

Still, the people are proud and do whatever they can to make a living.  Young girls help till crops and often get married in young teenage years.  The boys often work in the sugar cane fields and the sugar refining plant as young as 13 years to help cover family expenses. Families are everything in rural Uganda. They all look after each other.  The families were all so appreciative to receive our bedkits.

Brian Barr
Team Uganda 2019
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Philippines: All About the Bedkit!!

Today’s focus was all about the bedkit.

1) Members of the SCAW Canadian Team experience packing a bedkit for a child in The Philippines.

2) Two of our members along with a member of our overseas team in front of colourful bedkits to be distributed later today.

3) The truck loaded with bedkits arrives at the school compound.

4) Happy smiling faces of children proudly carrying home their bedkits - part of the total number of 450 bedkits successfully distributed today.

Theodora Nandy for

Team Philippines 2019
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Uganda: Gratefulness From All

This is my first distribution trip with SCAW.  It is proving to be a humbling and life-changing experience!  The support of the Ladies of the Inner Wheel of Kampala and their volunteers reflect a genuine affection for the children, which is such a blessing!....as are all the smiles generated from the beautiful Ugandan children at each site!

“FOR THE CHILDREN” continues to be the focus of the SCAW bedkit contributions.  As I interviewed several parents, with their children, I was reminded that the contents of each bedkit also benefit the entire family!   Rented rooms are small.  A mattress eliminates children sleeping on the floor; supplying mosquito netting reduces the parents’ worries over their children contracting malaria.

All of the parents whom I interviewed expressed how very, very grateful they were to the donors for thinking of their children!....and they prayed that others would donate so that more children and families would benefit!

JohnChristian for
Team Uganda 2019
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Philippines: We Have Arrived!!

Our team met at Toronto airport Friday. Here we are ready and anxious to get on our way.

From left to right: Irwin Kelly, Theodora Nandy, Bill Quipp, Sue Orr, Jan Gayman, Lorna Hedger, Ruth Vibe

After 16 hours in the air we arrived in Manila bright and early at 3:40 Sunday morning. It is very convenient that the time difference is exactly 12 hours. Our watches were already set for our new time zone.

After a day recovering we met with Dr. Ito as well as a few of the SCAW Philippine Team for a lovely dinner.

Tomorrow is a day of organizing and seeing a few sites here then Tuesday we begin our distributions.

Stay tuned,

Team Philippines 2019
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Philippines: Post Your Comments Here:

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Uganda: Are We There Yet??

We knew today would be a long day as we were moving from our hotel in Kampala to a central hotel in our next distribution area. We drove three hours to our distribution where our smallest group of 565 children were waiting for us. 

At home we would probably be like our kids saying “are we there yet” but the scenery is so unique compared to Canada. Banana trees, mud huts with grass roofs, community water pumps with children gathered with yellow plastic water containers and waving kids looking for a white hand to wave back, create an amazing view for our journey. 

Tired or not, as soon as we arrived to our site we couldn’t help but jump out of the van and join in on the dancing and singing. What a beautiful welcome from all the parents and the children who have been waiting already for hours. 

Once we gave all the bedkits we boarded the bus for a 4 hour bus ride to our new hotel. The feeling of fulfillment and thinking of all the new smiling faces we just left makes it completely worthwhile. 

Suzanne Dobinson Team Uganda 2019
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Uganda: Hope and Happiness Even Among the Difficult

No human being should have to live in the conditions that I witnessed today after our third distribution. Five people exist in a hovel made of bricks and corrugated steel.  Most of us in Canada have bathrooms larger than what this family was living in.

The only furniture was a small dilapidated couch and a filthy mattress, but this is reality for millions of poverty-stricken children in Uganda.  The father of the family abandoned them and his whereabouts were not known.

There was a woman with a teenage son, two girls eight and ten, and a tiny two year old girl.  The ten year old received a bedkit earlier that morning.  The mother told us that the two older girls would share the mattress which demonstrates the fact that.a bedkit benefits the entire family.  Our wish would be that we brought a sliver of hope and happiness through the gift of a bedkit.

Rosanne Waugh for

Team Uganda 2019
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