Kenya: The Distribution is Complete

This morning, we received an email from Christian Knochenhauer in Nairobi. Click on the picture to see a photo gallery on the Nairobi, Kenya Rotary Web site. Click on any picture to go through the entire album.

You can also read very detailed reports about SCAW's distribution on the Rotary Nairobi, Kenya Web site. Below is an excerpt:

From a report by Sylvia Mwichuli

We did it!! We successfully completed the distribution of 3,000 bed-kits to needy children in Kenya. The exercise ended on a high note with a distribution of 520 bedkits at Kaloleni Primary School coordinated by Rtn. Salim Fazal assisted by several Rotarians including Amar Kantaria and David Wafula. The day before, Salim also carried out another successful distribution at Makongeni and Joseph Apudo Schools with assistance from Rtn. Halima. There was also a large number of Rotaractors in attendance at the two events.

Kenya: Rotary Reports

You can read very detailed reports about SCAW's distribution on the Rotary Nairobi, Kenya Web site. Below are a couple of excerpts:

From a report by Sylvia Mwichuli

After months of planning, the Sleeping Children Around the World project is finally underway and rolling smoothly. We finally begun the distribution today with a distribution coordinated by Rotarians Arthur Mattli and Kauli in Kibera. For your information through this partnership project, which has been put together - with support from the SCAW Charity from Canada - 3,000 children are guaranteed a good nights sleep from now henceforth. We are delighted that through this and because they will each receive a bedkit containing the following items: a) A mattress b) A blanket c) Sheets and pillow case d) A pillow e) A mosquito net f) A towel g) A stationery Set (pens, rubbers, sharpeners and books) h) 2 sleeping suits (shorts and t-shirts suits i) Pair of slippers j) Bag We are extremely excited about this project because the bedkits we will be handing out to the children will have a huge direct impact on their lives and be a great bolster to their livelihoods.

From a report by Mike Eldon:

The distribution started at 9.45, and before 12.30 they were through with all the picture taking and the distribution. Everything went so smoothly, thanks to the professionalism of the SCAW team, the superb organisational assistance from Nick Hutchinson and Evelyn Mungai from our club (plus many others behind the scenes in the build-up), and the usual magnificent performance by the Cura leaders. With the 300th bedkit issued and everything packed, the Cura people couldn’t let their visitors get away without some words of thanks and a prayer. Evelyn thanked, Pastor George thanked, the headmaster of Cura Primary School, Mr. Nganga, thanked, and the wife of Bishop Ranji, representing her husband, thanked. ‘You have come from so far away,’ Evelyn told them, ‘to a country you did not know and to people who were strangers, and you opened your hearts to them.’ Then it fell to Duncan MacGregor, who had also been on last year’s expedition to Kenya, to reply. ‘You have all said “God bless you”’, he started, and then was overcome with emotion. ‘We are already blessed,’ he eventually managed to continue, and of course we had seen for ourselves how the very act of giving has these good people feel they are showered with blessings. ‘We spend a third of our lives asleep,’ Duncan said, ‘and it is our common interest to see these children enjoy their nights.’

Kenya: Photo Album 2006

Kenya Photo Album

Kenya: Two days of distributions

Here is our first crack at a message!

It is Tuesday March 7^th and we are in Nairobi, Kenya having completed two days of distributions.

On Monday we went to the Kibera slums -- the largest in Africa -- where about one million people live in some of the most desperate of living situations. This is where scenes fron the movie The Constant Gardener were filmed. We were warmly received by the wonderful Rotarians and the women who run The Star Academy which is situated right in the slums. We gave out 582 Bedkits to such needy children. To sleep on a mattress and have new clothes is such a gift for them. They were delighted!

After we had finished, the rains started and actually became torrential so we were very fortunate to have finished the distribution.

Today we went to Kikuyu which is in the rural area of Nairobi and we gave out 500 Bedkits to more happy and deserving children. Later we went to the Church of The Torch where we gave out 100 Bedkits to very deserving children who had been bussed in from the surrounding areas. We had fun delighting the the children by blowing bubbles and entertaining them with puppets.

The Kenyan Distribution Team