Chennai: Yercaud, Feb. 5

Bedkit recipients at Government Higher Secondary School From Chennai 2008 Photo Album

Breakfast was typically Indian at our mountainside hotel featuring Idly (rice cake), Vadai (a vegetarian donut), Dosai (rice rolls), Pongal (rice pudding), Poori (wheat), Sambar and Chutney spicy sauce, sweet lime and an Indian spicy omelette. Well fortified and raring to go, our SCAW team accompanied our Rotarian hosts to Government Higher Secondary School near Emerald Lake in the heart of Yercaud.

Our day's objective was to distribute 760 bedkits to children age 6 to 10, half girls and half boys, whose parents' income did not exceed twenty-four thousand Rupees, or about six hundred and fifty dollars per year. The Yercaud Rotary Club had done a great job of screening the children, and of recruiting 30 volunteers to assist SCAW team members with the challenging logistics of helping the children to put on a new SCAW outfit, line up in an orderly fashion for their photos, walk to the table where a SCAW member noted their attendance on the preprinted check sheets, and proceed to the storage area where a SCAW member presented them with their new bedkit.

The Yercaud Rotary Club provides remarkable leadership in organizing projects to improve the lives of children and adults in the region. SCAW could not do its amazing work without their cooperation and assistance. In addition, the Yercaud Rotarians organize medical camps in an area covering 150 sq. km, have established a Polio Program, and arranged for the immunization of more than 4000 children annually in the 67 villages situated in the vicinity. They have stationed an ambulance in the area, and adopted selected schools in which they work to improve the infrastructure and facilities for the welfare of the children.

The happy look on the faces of the children when they receive their bedkits, and the sparkle in their eyes, make all our efforts on behalf of the many SCAW donors back home so very worthwhile. The cooler weather of the mountain setting in which we were distributing bedkits made for less fatiguing and more comfortable work conditions. Around 4 pm, we finished and made our way as guests of the Rotary Club to a hotel owned by a Rotary member for lunch.

Visiting Sister Louis Click to see more photos

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at the Yercaud Social Service Centre where Sister Louis of the Order of St. Joseph of Cluny, an Irish Roman Catholic nun, has worked devotedly for 58 years to improve the lives of citizens and children of Yercaud. She was delightful to talk to, and appreciative of Jean Hutton's and Leslie Field's offer of school supplies they had brought with them from Canada to give where needed, as well as two hand-made shawls to keep some needy souls warm.

Sister Louis devoted service for 58 years underlines a great religious truth central to all major world religions:

• Hinduism teaches: "This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you."
• Islam teaches: "Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself."
• Buddhism teaches: "Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."
• Confucianism teaches: "One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct and loving kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself."
• Christianity teaches: "Love your neighbour as yourself," and "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Back at our hotel, we prepared our reports although lack of high speed internet service in the town prevented our sending them. Then we checked our gear and plans for our journey to Vellore on Wednesday, and relaxed. Some members of the Team even took advantage of the spa services to tone up their bodies and tune up their energy levels for the challenging days ahead in a much hotter part of India.

On Wednesday, we departed by train to Vellore in southern India for the distribution of 720 bedkits.

Gray Cavanagh for the SCAW 2008 Chennai Team

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