Kenya, 2020: Day 3: Another Wonderful Day
Today was another amazing day in Kenya. We visited a school and gave out 600 plus bedkits.
We had the help of teachers and the local Rotary Club which made everything run so well.
Looking forward to tomorrow and another 1000 bedkits.
I personally have been doing charity work for years and this is the one that has given me the most joy by far.
Shane Reeleder
Team Kenya, 2020
Kenya, 2020: Day 2: Beautiful Smiles
What a day! We had a one hour drive through traffic (thank you Charles!) to Jamhuri Primary School for our second distribution of 1000 bed kits. What beautiful children and beautiful weather!
With much help from the Nairobi Rotary Club and some young Rotarians our bed kits were given out to many smiling Kenyan children. The distribution was completed before noon which left us with enough time to join the Rotary Club back in Nairobi for a wonderful meal.
Team leader Tom Jacques spoke at the luncheon and the Rotary Club presented our SCAW group with a home-made chocolate cake (it was delicious!) commemorating the 50 year anniversary of our organization and 20 years working in Kenya.
Add all this to an amazing dinner last evening at one of the Rotarians‘ homes and I’d say the past 24 hours would garner a 10 out of 10 ranking!!!
Looking forward to tomorrow!!
Ed Jacques
Team Kenya, 2020
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With much help from the Nairobi Rotary Club and some young Rotarians our bed kits were given out to many smiling Kenyan children. The distribution was completed before noon which left us with enough time to join the Rotary Club back in Nairobi for a wonderful meal.
Team leader Tom Jacques spoke at the luncheon and the Rotary Club presented our SCAW group with a home-made chocolate cake (it was delicious!) commemorating the 50 year anniversary of our organization and 20 years working in Kenya.
Add all this to an amazing dinner last evening at one of the Rotarians‘ homes and I’d say the past 24 hours would garner a 10 out of 10 ranking!!!
Looking forward to tomorrow!!
Ed Jacques
Team Kenya, 2020
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Belgaum 2020: Final day of distributions
We
distributed 500 bedkits in Karwar today, meeting our total of 8,000. The
site used was a community centre and as on previous days, many of the children
travelled up to 25 km to reach the site. The children were excited
with our arrival and more so when they received the items in the bedkit. Our
team enjoyed the interaction with the children and seeing the smile on
their faces was worth the trip.
Following
the distribution, we travelled 4.5 hours back to Belgaum. Part of the drive was
though the National Forest, where we saw a number of monkeys. That evening
we attended a meeting with the Belgaum Rotarians to review each distribution to
see if improvements can be made. We all concluded that the distribution was a
success, bringing joy to 8,000 children.
Early morning walk on beach at Karwar before our distribution:
Waiting to have their
picture taken:
Children receiving
bedkit items:
Enjoying
an orange:
Lou
Vavougios
Team Belgaum 2020
Team Belgaum 2020
Kenya, 2020: Day 1 in Kenya: Meeting our partners
Hello from Nairobi, Kenya. Our Canadian travel team met part of the Nairobi Kenyan Rotary Club today to review the agenda for the next week and see our 2020 bedkits.
We will be delivering 5,000 of these bedkits to needy children who were selected months ago by the Nairobi Rotary Club with help from the local schools.
Tomorrow starts with 1,000 bedkits at Jamhuri Primary School starting at 8am. More news to follow.
Tom Jacques
Team Kenya, 2020
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We will be delivering 5,000 of these bedkits to needy children who were selected months ago by the Nairobi Rotary Club with help from the local schools.
Tomorrow starts with 1,000 bedkits at Jamhuri Primary School starting at 8am. More news to follow.
Tom Jacques
Team Kenya, 2020
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Belgaum 2020: Another fulfilling day of distributions and seeing the sights of India
Today we have completed our eleventh day of distribution in the
village of Mundgod. We distributed another 400 bedkits, and are now 500 bedkits away
from completing our distribution of 8,000 bedkits by Team Belgaum
2020.
After we completed our distribution, we visited a Tibetan Monastery in Mundgod.
Marcelle Laverrière
Once again, it was a delight to see the smiling and sometimes
curious faces of the beautiful children, and also to experience the
expressions of deep gratitude from their parents.
During our travels in the area, we were able to
see the effects of the devastating floods which occurred in August 2019.
Thank you to all the generous donors, our
overseas partners and SCAW volunteers for making
such a significant impact in improving the lives of vulnerable children and
families.
After we completed our distribution, we visited a Tibetan Monastery in Mundgod.
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| L-R: Ralf Soeder, Faith Clark, Julie Carney, Sandy Riches, Marcelle Laverrière and Lou Vavougios. |
Marcelle Laverrière
Kenya, 2020: Day 1 - Safe Arrival
We all made it here safely including Shane.
11:53pm here.
Team off to bed.
Tom Jacques
Team Kenya, 2020
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11:53pm here.
Team off to bed.
Tom Jacques
Team Kenya, 2020
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Kenya 2020: Please Post Your Comments Here
As a courtesy to our overseas team, please add your name to the end of your comments.
Belgaum 2020: Warm welcomes and smiles
Today we travelled to Hubli and Kundagol for two distributions of 400 bedkits each. It was a busy day made possible by the cooperation and hard work of all the team and volunteers. The children continue to amaze me with their calm demeanor and wonderful smiles. Between sites we briefly visited an 11th-century temple and received a warm welcome.
As of today, we have given 7,100 bedkits! We have two sites remaining and 900 more bedkits. Amazing how quickly the time has gone!
Everyone enjoys a photo!
Waiting for the others to join in the picture
A group of fabulous volunteers in Hubli
Temple in Kundagol
Beautiful carvings made hundreds of years ago
We received a warm welcome and blessing
For the Children
Sandy RichesTeam Belgaum 2020
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Belgaum 2020: The Best Valentine's Day!
After eating a good breakfast (and many Valentine’s
chocolates), our team was very energized for what we knew would be a
very busy and exciting day. With full hearts, we teamed up
with the local Rotarians and distributed 1,100 bedkits
to the beautiful children of Belgaum.
We love meeting the children, and on occasion we get to
meet some of their parents and caregivers. They remind us of our families
back home that love us and support us as we travel with our
team for this amazing organization.
Sending a very blessed valentine to all...
The Rotary of Belgaum also hosted our team to an evening
Valentine celebration. Many Rotarians and their spouses attended. We
made new friendships, ate great food, and listened to great music!
We also brought a cake to celebrate SCAW’s 50th year!
Julie Carney
Belgaum 2020: Joy in numbers
1,100
children today!
1,100 bedkits to distribute, 1,100 families to share the child’s joy.
1,100 bedkits to distribute, 1,100 families to share the child’s joy.
Marcelle
and I shared the task of handing a bedkit to each child, making eye contact and
offering a handshake. The rewards are great: a shy smile, thank you, namaste
and sometimes a bow and a hand touching our feet.
This
year’s bedkit is comprehensive, including two colourful and well-made outfits,
flip flops and school supplies, and other items, including a mosquito net to
ensure a healthy and comfortable sleep for the whole family.
The
final photo today was of 45 children who waited patiently and cooperatively
while the volunteers worked to make sure that each little face would be
captured for the donor’s enjoyment.
Faith
Clark
Team
Belgaum 2020
Belgaum 2020: For the Children, Behind the Scenes
From
a bedkit distribution standpoint, today was a “day off”.
However, the day was filled with visits to various sites that
exemplify the phenomenal efforts behind the scenes to make a positive impact on
the lives of disadvantaged children living in the Belgaum area.
Our second visit of the day was to a small workshop that
manufactures sweaters for school uniforms. They are also the supplier of the sweaters in each bedkit. They produce 200 sweaters by hand each day, from
yarn to finished product, for various school districts.
The firm provides the sweaters for SCAW at below their actual
cost of $3 per sweater because the owner understands the desperate need of the
children receiving bedkits. That’s 8,000 sweaters!
Our last visit of the day was to the Rotary Swimming Pool. Each
February they invite 200 disabled children for a 3-week free swimming camp to
introduce the children to swimming and to minimize their fear of water. The
theme of the camp is “Yes We Can”
It was very powerful to see dozens of blind children entering
the pool, while able-bodied children sat on the side of the pool kicking in the
water so the blind students gained confidence and knew the parameters of the
water.
Instructors assisted mentally challenged students in the pool
utilizing flotation devices, as the children kicked their feet with glee.
Many parents sat on the side watching their children intently,
so very proud of their child’s achievements.
An amazing commitment of the leader, Umesh Kalghatgi, the many
coaches, and the Rotary Club of Belgaum for funding the camp and the initial
capital cost of the two pools in 1974.
“What a Way to Inspire Others”
Ralf Soeder
Belgaum 2020: The smiles say it all
Today we travelled 90 minutes to the small
village of Alnavar, where our team distributed 700 bedkits, bringing our
total so far to 4,700. This was the second day working with our local
partner the “Ekal” group. They are a group of volunteers who work with the
people in rural areas to meet their greatest challenges.
The children gave us a warm welcome on our arrival. They feel very lucky to have been selected to be a recipient of a bedkit. The smiles on their faces say it all. Following the distribution, we were invited to visit the home of one of the recipients of this year’s bedkit. The family (grandmother, parents, two children) live in a very modest home comprised of two rooms -- kitchen and bedroom -- with no furniture or plumbing. The contents of the bedkit were valued by the entire family.
A warm welcome on our arrival:
Our host family:
Happy recipients of a bedkit:
The villagers join the photo:
A visit with the family reinforces to us how beneficial the bedkit is.
Lou Vavougios
Team Belgaum 2020
The children gave us a warm welcome on our arrival. They feel very lucky to have been selected to be a recipient of a bedkit. The smiles on their faces say it all. Following the distribution, we were invited to visit the home of one of the recipients of this year’s bedkit. The family (grandmother, parents, two children) live in a very modest home comprised of two rooms -- kitchen and bedroom -- with no furniture or plumbing. The contents of the bedkit were valued by the entire family.
A warm welcome on our arrival:
Our host family:
Happy recipients of a bedkit:
The villagers join the photo:
A visit with the family reinforces to us how beneficial the bedkit is.
Lou Vavougios
Team Belgaum 2020
Belgaum 2020: Day 5 of distributions
Today we travelled to the distribution site in Joida. Our journey
took us through a national park which is also one of the Tiger reserve areas in
India. We didn’t see any tigers but much to our delight we saw a family of
monkeys just hanging around at the edge of the forest.
We arrived at the distribution site to the
cheers of excited children and family members dressed in colourful saris. Some
families travelled as far away as 50 km to the distribution site. 800 bedkits
were distributed, which brings us to the half-way mark of 4,000 bedkits distributed
to date by our team. The children and their parents were happy to see us and
grateful for the items in their bedkits.
Marcelle Laverrière
Belgaum 2020: What I see through the lens
To date I have taken pictures of 3,200 children. I see
sweet little girls with shining hair and decorations of fresh flowers. Little
boys with big eyes, apprehensive of what is going on. Beautiful girls
with shy smiles who carefully arrange their pretty new dresses. I see the
little boy with an extra finger and the child whose parent must carry them to the
chair before the camera.
I see beautiful children who are very surprised and thankful for the generous gift they have been given.
Today I saw two little boys who stuck very close together and
held hands. One boy was blind and his friend gently led him to his seat and
explained what was happening around him. Unlike the others who raced off to
join the line they walked carefully.
Some of the children showed fierce determination not to let go
of their bag when volunteers tried to help them place them out of sight.
I see children who are well loved. They can give you a
beautiful smile and often a namaste greeting when the ordeal of taking the
picture is done.
I see beautiful children who are very surprised and thankful for the generous gift they have been given.
Sandy Riches
Belgaum 2020: Smiles all around!
How wonderful it is to be able to meet 500 children while
drawing smiley faces on their thumbs!
I loved that I was assigned this task during our third
distribution in Nipani.
I feel blessed that I was provided an opportunity to meet every
child with a smile, a hand shake and a hello.
Julie Carney
Team Belgaum 2020
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Julie Carney
Team Belgaum 2020
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Belgaum 2020: Day 2 of Distributions - a team effort
Our day
started with started with a drive of one and a half hours. We shared the road
with motorcycles, tuk tuks, goat herds, roving oxen and small black pigs along
the way.
In the past year, the area
suffered through a devastating flood, damaging many homes and depriving the
residents of necessities. As a result, the local Rotary Club answered the call
for help and through the generosity of SCAW donors, we were able to increase
our bedkit numbers to accommodate many needs of the community.
During interviews, the parents
expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation for replacement of some of
their losses, to make family life more comfortable.
Because of the large number of
children receiving bedkits, our team was happy to have many volunteers
including, among others, student teachers, nursing students and Boy Scouts, in
addition to our faithful Rotarians. With our combined efforts, over 1,200
children left with smiles, the necessities for a good night sleep, and
hopefully a chance to start anew.
Student teachers who were assisting with the distribution:
Faith Clark
Team Belgaum 2020
Belgaum 2020: Impressions of Day 1 of Distributions
Today's blog features impressions of the first distribution day from three different team members.
From Marcelle Laverrière:
After over 16 hours of total flight time, our team has arrived
safely in Belgaum, India. This is my first distribution trip with SCAW and
also our first day of distribution.
We arrived at the distribution site to
a warm welcome from our overseas partner, the Rotary Club of Belgaum and many
smiling and curious faces of the parents and children. It was wonderful and
overwhelming at the same time to see first hand the difference that SCAW and
the many donors are making by bringing comfort, spreading kindness and giving
practical help to the families in need.
From Lou Vavougios:
I completed my first bedkit distribution today.
I was very impressed with how well this event was organized
by our Rotary partners. Our team of six distributed 700 bedkits with the
assistance of adult and student volunteers. Upon our arrival, the site of
the distribution was lined with family members who were there to see what their
children were going to receive. The children became increasingly excited
as their turn approached. I will always remember the smiles on their faces when they received their bedkit.
I also can’t forget the reaction of some of the younger children
when volunteers helped them by carrying the heavy bedkit to their waiting
parents - they always kept one hand on the bag.
From Ralf Soeder:
Today’s distribution of 700 bed kits at Ramdurg was my first
experience with SCAW.
Seeing the children in their bright and new outfits was awesome. By their facial expressions, one could tell they were in awe.
Seeing the children in their bright and new outfits was awesome. By their facial expressions, one could tell they were in awe.
What truly amazed me, though, was seeing the labels with messages from hundreds of
Canadians from all across our vast country, from sea to shining sea. Some
messages were to celebrate a special occasion such a birthday or Christmas. Many were legacy messages, in memory of a loved one. Others were students from various schools,
employees from companies small and large, places of faith, and some individuals
just happy to donate. The generosity of thousands of Canadians every year to
young students in these distant communities is amazing. You can all be proud of
the impact you have made, not only on the young recipients, but on their whole
families.
Belgaum 2020 - Post your comments here
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Chennai, 2020: Our Final Day and Now 7500 Children Will Enjoy a Good Night's Sleep
Where has the time gone? Our team of seven have traversed along many many kilometres of roads, dodged motorbikes, tuk tuks, bicycles, wound through narrow and busy streets and today we returned to the hotel knowing that our mission with SCAW was complete.
Our eleventh and final distribution took place at the school adopted by Rotary Club of Ambattur in 1980. Adopting the school was the club’s original project. Rotary members volunteer their time & skills in the operation of the school. Only 12 staff members receive government wages and the Rotarians raise funds to cover all other expenses.
These Rotarians also provide other incentives to help children obtain an education.
With over 1000 bedkits to distribute, two bedkits were displayed. Theresa and Cheryl each set up a camera and the clicks began! The huge mountain of bedkits quickly began to shrink as the children started to tote off their new treasures. A group of eager 11 & 12 year old boys gave up a day off to help the small children carry their bag to excited waiting parents outside the gates. More photos, more selfies and away they travelled to their homes, some several kilometres away.
A special and rather emotional moment was to meet the mother of a recipient. Twenty four years ago at the age of six she had been a bed kit recipient. After her years of using it, her brother used it. Today this young woman is the mother of two children and happily works in an insurance office.
The second very special event today was the presentation of the Murray Dryden Scholarships to ten students. The envelopes brought some wide smiles. The Ambattur Rotary Club have established a fund where the accumulated interest from each year is used as a scholarship to assist students with their education. The value this year is approximately thirty dollars CDN. What a thoughtful tribute to Murray.
Once again much credit for a smooth successful distribution is the result of dedicated Rotarians, Rotarian wives, teachers and student helpers. Special recognition today to Morelli, our van driver, who coached the children to say, “Thank You.” Morelli is also an expert with bedkit setup and take down.
The day is over. The distribution is complete. Seven thousand and five hundred children are now enjoying a better night’s sleep.
Isabelle Parliament
Chennai, 2020, Day 8: Wonderful Volunteers Make Distributions a Treat
Wow! It is hard to believe that tomorrow is our last distribution. It only seems like yesterday that we arrived.
Today the teams separated into 2 separate distributions. I headed up the second team that travelled two hours outside of Chennai. We were a group of four who would distribute over 500 bedkits to some very deserving children.
We had a passionate group of Rotarians who travelled with us today. I cannot put into words how truly amazing these gentleman are to work with and the passion they have for this project.
As I sat behind the camera today I saw something that I will never forget; the eyes of children that will touch your heart. From tall to short, each one had a smile from ear to ear. Each of them said "thank you."
We had a great group of volunteers that were truly engaged in helping. It made my heart melt as I saw young boys carefully pick up children who could not walk and carry them to pick up their bedkits.
We had two children join us in the van on our way back home. These 2 children and their families welcomed us into their homes to learn more about them and show us how happy they were with so little.
We stopped for lunch at a Rotarian sponsored Medical Centre. We toured the facility and I cannot believe how many people are assisted. They do so much to improve the lives of others. It was a truly fulfilling day.
Cheryl Warner
Team Chennai, 2020
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Today the teams separated into 2 separate distributions. I headed up the second team that travelled two hours outside of Chennai. We were a group of four who would distribute over 500 bedkits to some very deserving children.
We had a passionate group of Rotarians who travelled with us today. I cannot put into words how truly amazing these gentleman are to work with and the passion they have for this project.
As I sat behind the camera today I saw something that I will never forget; the eyes of children that will touch your heart. From tall to short, each one had a smile from ear to ear. Each of them said "thank you."
We had a great group of volunteers that were truly engaged in helping. It made my heart melt as I saw young boys carefully pick up children who could not walk and carry them to pick up their bedkits.
We had two children join us in the van on our way back home. These 2 children and their families welcomed us into their homes to learn more about them and show us how happy they were with so little.
We stopped for lunch at a Rotarian sponsored Medical Centre. We toured the facility and I cannot believe how many people are assisted. They do so much to improve the lives of others. It was a truly fulfilling day.
Cheryl Warner
Team Chennai, 2020
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