We arrived to cheers of Kwala Oye! Kwala Oye!
The entire village, led by Mr. Gilbert, the District Commissioner, came to greet the SCAW team. Swahili cheers and songs rang out ... a moving experience for us. It was interesting to note that Mr. Gilbert stressed that it was a day for the children and that the bedkits were for their personal use ... not for Mamas and Babas.
The excitement rose as we prepared the site for the distribution but the discipline and politeness of the children was remarkable. They patiently waited their turn, sometimes caring for their smaller brothers and sisters and carrying them effortlessly on their backs.
Some had walked 34 kilometres and waited as long as six hours to receive the bedkit because of a malfunction with one of the delivery trucks. As always, the indomitable Mama Wandoa took control and worked out the logistics.
The children were easily coaxed to smile prompted by our “Checka! Checka!” (Smile! Smile!) The individuality of each child shone through ... some were shy, others confident, a wink and mischievious grin ... just like children everywhere.
The current date/time in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:
A day of wonderful memories for the SCAW team.We’ll sleep soundly tonight.
Team Tanzania
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