Togo: Three distributions completed

From Togo 2008 Photo Album

Our Togo team sends greetings to all our donors, family, and friends.

Our team has completed three distributions, experienced a torrential downpour that turned roads into small lakes, and experienced temperatures that make the hottest days in Ontario, Canada seem cool.

We send special greetings to all those school children that have made donations to Sleeping Children Around the World.

We wish that each of you could be with us to touch the hands of the children receiving your bedkit.

Whether it is a needy child in Togo, or a child from other countries our charity serves, their joy is overwhelming. Their eyes burst with happiness when they see all the items they will receive in their bedkit.

I am especially proud of the children from the Norfolk, Brant, Haldimand Catholic Elementary Schools, whose generosity has made a difference to children in need.

Grant Clark,
on behalf of the SCAW 2008 Togo travelling team.

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Togo: Photo Album

Photos above from Togo 2008 Photo Album Click on photo to see a larger image and to browse the photo album.

Uganda: The team is ready

Our Uganda team was at Sleeping Children headquarters a few weeks ago, preparing for their trip at the end of May.

Here's the team that will be representing SCAW during this year's distribution:
(Left to right, Back row) Jean-Pierre Hamelin, Debbie Will-Dryden & Sieg Will (Team Leaders), (Front row) Valerie Greenfield, Sue Small, Jeffrey Bamford.

Uganda: Leave your comments here

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Togo: First distribution completed

Our first distribution (today) ran smoothly and we distributed 500 bedkits to very happy children.


This post includes pictures promised yesterday.

The top picture shows our team and the Overseas Volunteer Organization (OVO), who are members of a not-for-profit organization called Action Enfance et Développement Togo (AED-Togo), whose primary goal is the care of women and children affected with AIDS.

The bottom picture shows our Canadian volunteers: (Left to right) Sarah Compeau, Helene Compeau, Grant Clark & Leslie Banner (Team Leaders), Loreen Cumming, and Doug Cumming.


Sarah Compeau
for the SCAW 2008 Togo travelling team.

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Togo: The team has arrived

The current date/time in Lome, Togo:

We have arrived safely in Togo, West Africa.

We just wanted to say we're safe ... and hot ... and we hope to send some pictures tomorrow.

Sarah Compeau
for the SCAW 2008 Togo travelling team.

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Togo: Leave your comments here

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Philippines: 6,000 Bedkits Delivered

April 12^th: Mission Accomplished

The 2008 Philippines Sleeping Children Around the World Canadian travelling volunteers with the last two bedkit recipients in Meycauayan, Philippines.

(Left to right) Dennis Jones, Patti Jones, Ken Graham (Team Leader), Andrea Tynan, Brenda Porter-Lockhart, Wayne Witney.

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Philippines: Two more distributions to go

We had only one distribution today. At this one, I was able to observe the checking-in process whereby each child is verified against the master list before being assigned their tag/recipient number which they wear until just prior to having their picture taken.

Upon further investigation of the various classrooms, where groups of 50 children waited patiently for their turn, I observed a special needs child with his mother. When I mentioned this to one of the local support people they were already aware and were moving this child to the first position to avoid delays for this family. I was told that this is SOP (standard operating practice) for this group; I should have known, since they really do seem to think of every detail. Today in particular, there were 80 local volunteers including the mayor plus twenty teachers who covered the costs associated with transporting the children to the distribution site.

One other practice by Sleeping Children Around the World is the survey; typically two parents/guardians are selected at each distribution site who are asked to scrutinize the bedkit contents and answer a series of questions. Their well-thought-out responses will no doubt help to ensure that all the bedkit items meet their needs.

As two SCAW team members set up the bedkit for the display, another reviewed three randomly-selected bedkits to ensure that all itmes were contained within (See list of bedkit items). I can assure you that our Philippines OVO [Overseas Volunteer Organization] has excellent quality control with respect to this important detail.

This will likely be the last live report from us. Later today we are going to be travelling for about five hours to the next site where we will stay tonight and have two final distributions tomorrow. Then we willl wrap up with a meeting with the Philippines SCAW core committee to discuss how things went.

Another successful SCAW distribution: moving us that much closer to the millionth bedkit.

Signing off,

Brenda Porter-Lockhart
for the 2008 SCAW Philippines Travelling Team

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Philippines: Photo Album

Photos from Philippines Photo Album 2008

This is the only father I surveyed. He provided some excellent insights into the bedkit contents and had some suggestions that I feel will be very helpful.

He and his daughter had a one-hour ride home -- both of them, with the bedkit, on the bike.

Brenda Porter-Lockhart
for the 2008 SCAW Philippines Travelling Team

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