After a three-hour van ride, being entertained by our partner Rotary Club of Pune Cantonement, we arrived at our distribution centre, Ghargaon.
We were greeted with a band, folk dances, and welcome speeches by the kids and were showered with roses. We looked out to a sea of parents as the day was well-attended by mothers and fathers alike.
Everything ran smoothly and we finished our 653 bedkits in three hours. We were served a traditional Indian feast made at the school in huge pots and enjoyed by all.
We are grateful for all the support from the Rotary Club members and the many volunteer helpers.
Tomorrow is another full day, driving three hours out to rural India.
Thank you! (and now we are off to bed!)
Debbie
for Team Pune 2012
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Friday, 10 February, 2012
Belgaum: The team has landed
The Belgaum Team has landed safely in Mumbai (to bed at 2:00 a.m.!).
We will spend two days touring in Mumbai and getting our "sea legs" before heading south to Belgaum.
We are getting excited to see our Friends in The Rotary Club of Belgaum (our Overseas Volunteer Organization) and, of course, 4,500 children who will receive bedkits thanks to our donors and our Rotary friends.
The 2012 Belgaum Team
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We will spend two days touring in Mumbai and getting our "sea legs" before heading south to Belgaum.
We are getting excited to see our Friends in The Rotary Club of Belgaum (our Overseas Volunteer Organization) and, of course, 4,500 children who will receive bedkits thanks to our donors and our Rotary friends.
The 2012 Belgaum Team
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Wednesday, 8 February, 2012
Belgaum: Team ready to go
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| From Belgaum 2012 |
The Belgaum Team shown here at the airport -- (Left to right): Margaret Goodchild, Andrea Tynan, Duncan Macgregor (Team Leader), Bill Sergeant, Larry Kell, Anne Kell -- has cleared security and is patiently waiting in Toronto for our flight to Amsterdam and then Mumbai.
We will arrive in Mumbai in the early morning hours of Friday, February 10th.
Until then, sleep well!
The 2012 Belgaum Team
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Tuesday, 7 February, 2012
Pune: First Distribution
Yesterday was our first distribution at a local school in the heart of the city of Pune, India.
The students live primarily in the slums of the region. Life is hard for these children, living within the cycle of extreme poverty.
The teachers at the school do their best, providing the children with meals and an education, hoping to give the children more opportunities for their future.
We were happy to have this opportunity to work so locally and have the Rotarians make the connection to children within their immediate community.
Due to the disruption of municipal elections, today is a rest day. The Pune Rotarians have arranged for the Canadian team to tour the city and surrounding area.
Team Pune 2012
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| Pune 2012 |
You can also submit your email address and then you will be notified each time there is a new Live Report.Click the graphic at right to see all the photos in the Pune 2012 Photo Album. When you're there, click on SLIDESHOW at upper left to see all the photos in a larger size.
Monday, 6 February, 2012
Chennai: Nellore
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| From Chennai 2012 |
We were welcomed at Zella Perishad #5 School by a 6-piece drum band who led us down a tree lined courtyard, while students and helpers festooned us with garlands and sprinkled flower petals over our heads and at our feet. What a beautiful entry!
After that, we conducted a perfect distribution of 500 bedkits.
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| From Chennai 2012 |
Many Thanks.
John Page
for Team Chennai 2012
Click either photo to see more in the Chennai 2012 Photo Album. Then click on SLIDESHOW at upper left to see them all in large size.
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Sunday, 5 February, 2012
Chennai: Kilpauk
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| From Chennai 2012 |
Sunday is considered to be a day of rest when you are able to spend time with your family, so the streets were comparatively quiet and calm. We arrived at the Sindhi Model SR, SEC School, where the students, teachers, and parents gathered in the outdoor auditorium.
The school's courtyard is surrounded by large trees and plants and they have two basketball nets.
With the help of the Ambattur Rotary Club we were able to quickly set up and begin. While the children were being organized in their lines, we were able to get to know the children's names, and got some insight on their future aspirations.
When asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" a popular response was an engineer, a doctor, and a teacher.
We distributed 423 bedkits today and received a big smile in return with each one.
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| From Chennai 2012 |
Team Chennai 2012
Click either photo to see more in the Chennai 2012 Photo Album. Then click on SLIDESHOW at upper left to see them all in large size.
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Pune: The team has arrived
We got a message from the Pune 2012 Team:
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will be notified each time there is a new Live Report.
Just wanted to let you know that the Pune team has all arrived safely.
We checked into our hotel and now are ready to go to help with the assembling of the bedkits.
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Saturday, 4 February, 2012
Chennai: Tiruvallur
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| From Chennai 2012 |
We were greeted by Girl Guides and Boy Scouts who then helped us set up for the day.
We happily gave 565 bedkits to the children with the help of the senior students volunteering on the site. (Picture at right shows Laurie-Beth with the girls who helped us.)
On the return trip we saw rice growing in the country side, cows and goats roaming freely on the street, and a wide variety of tiny shops as we approached the city.
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| From Chennai 2012 |
Tomorrow we look forward to our fifth distribution.
Laurie-Beth Page
for Team Chennai 2012
Click either photo to see more in the Chennai 2012 Photo Album. Then click on SLIDESHOW at upper left to see them all in large size.
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Friday, 3 February, 2012
Chennai: Avadi
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| From Chennai 2012 |
The founder A.N. Ramesh Babu told us this is the eleventh time this site has been used. Many senior students gave assistance and 601 happy children boarded their buses for home.
Team Chennai 2012
Click photo at right to see more in the Chennai 2012 Photo Album. Then click on SLIDESHOW at upper left to see them all in large size.
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Thursday, 2 February, 2012
Chennai: Vellore Again
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| From Chennai 2012 |
Starting early we left our hotel to return to the same site we did the distribution yesterday.
Today's challenge was working around the people preparing for a wedding in the hall where the Rotarians had been staging the kids.
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| From Chennai 2012 |
At the end of the distribution day we had handed out 697 bedkits for a running total of 1,025.
Later a little fun was had by Aniya as she played with the kids trying to cram into an auto-rickshaw.
Team Chennai 2012
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Wednesday, 1 February, 2012
Kolkata: Mission Accomplished
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| From Kolkata 2012 |
Day 10: The Kindness of Strangers
The final distribution day has been completed - 1200 today!
It could not have happened without the kindness of strangers ...
- to the wonderful people around Canada and the world, who donate to this most worthwhile charity -- without you, none of this could happen
- to our most warm and welcoming hosts -- the Rotary Club of Dum Dum -- for their fine tuned organizational skills, which kept us on track
- to their wives and children who were also instrumental with the success of the distribution
- to all of the Oversees Volunteer Organizations that assist us day-to-day over here with the cooking for the children, to the assistance at the distribution sites, with changing the children, setting up the photo sites, assisting with handing us the bedkits, and who ensured our safety
- to the Rotarian Doctors who asked us daily about our health, and the hundreds of others who are too numerous to mention
- and this wouldn't have happened without the beautiful children of India -- with their smiles and happy/shy disposition, who made our days so very enjoyable, and all the long days and hard work worthwhile
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| From Kolkata 2012 |
..
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| From Kolkata 2012 |
Including the 6,500 bedkits delivered
in Kolkata this year, our total is
now 1,195,630 bedkits since
Sleeping Children began in 1970.
in Kolkata this year, our total is
now 1,195,630 bedkits since
Sleeping Children began in 1970.
That's all she wrote ... Thank you for joining us on this wonderful adventure ...
Team Kolkata 2012
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Belgaum: The Team Prepares
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| From Belgaum 2012 |
Another team met at 28 Pinehurst to prepare for their 2012 distribution of bedkits in Belgaum, India. Pictured above, the team is (Left to Right) Duncan Macgregor (Team Leader), Andrea Tynan, Bill Sergeant, Margaret Goodchild, Anne Kell, and Larry Kell.
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Chennai: Vellore
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| From Chennai 2012 |
At 6 am sharp the SCAW team was up and travelling by van for their first distribution in Vellore.
We made a brief stop and enjoyed a South Asian breakfast of rice pancakes Idly with dal, savoury donuts Vadai, rice paste pongal, and tea. When we arrived at the distribution site the children were all dressed in their outfits - a dark brown skirt and white blouse for the girls and khaki shorts and a white shirt for the boys.
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| From Chennai 2012 |
After a brief greeting, in front of all of the children, we proceeded with our distribution of bedkits to 553 happy children.
We have heard that our luggage has been located and we will receive it tomorrow night when we return to Chennai.
Theodora Nandy
for Team Chennai 2012
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Belgaum: Post your comments here
Belgaum Time and Weather
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Tuesday, 31 January, 2012
Kolkata: Distribution 9, Tarakeswar
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| From Kolkata 2012 |
The Colours and Tastes of India
Today we had a smaller distribution about two hours away from Kolkata.
Venturing to the site we came across some wonderful sites and colours of India, which we would like to share with you ...
- lime green newly-planted rice seedlings contrasted by the darker green potato plants and the bright yellow mustard seed plants
- the beautiful rainbow of colours of the women in the fields wearing their saris
- the bright yellow ambassador taxis, and the hot curry we eat each day (sometimes twice, sometimes thrice)
- the black coal, goats, and cows
- the turquoise-blue-hued kingfisher flying around the melon-sized multicoloured dalhias
- the too many billboards
- the delicous hot boiling tea
- the red painted feet on a few of the village women
- the children arriving in their fancy festival clothes
- mango juice, spicy cashews, flavorful dates, and hot chilies (don't confuse these with green beans!)
- burgandy hennas
- the red dot on the forehead and line down the part of their hair to symbolize a married person
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| From Kolkata 2012 |
Can't believe it is Day 9 with only 1 distribution left...
till tomorrow...
Team Kolkata 2012
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Chennai: The team has arrived
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| From Chennai 2012 |
The Chennai 2012 team (our second team in India this year) has arrived safely, but light in luggage. Back Row, Left to Right: Aniya Nandy, John Page, Theodora Nandy. Front row: Laura Harper, Laurie-Beth Page (Team Leader), Iain Maciver.
In Toronto we were advised that the Brussels airport was on strike, and therefore we were being re-routed to Amsterdam and then on to Chennai.
Unfortunately, our luggage remained in Amsterdam. The Rotary club welcomed us at 5 am and are helping us sort out our luggage difficulties along with their many other responsibilities. Today was spent catching on our much needed sleep and preparing for our pre-distribution meeting with the Rotarians tonight.
Our day starts tomorrow at 6 am -- who needs sleep?? -- and we're off to Vellore for our
first distribution of 640 bedkits.
Team Chennai 2012
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Chennai: Leave your comments here
Chennai Time and Weather
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