Pune: Two very important days

Days 6 & 7

On Thursday, we celebrated the successful distribution of 4,000 bedkits but there was still much more to come!

From Pune 2010 Photos

On Friday, the Rotarians took the team back to the area north of the city where the Pune 2009 distribution had been held. How had the bedkit items stood up after one year’s use? Had all items been useful? Did the caregivers and children have any advice for us?

The three-hour drive took us to Sarole Pathar. We visited homes and had an amazing “town hall” meeting in a schoolroom with parents, education officials, teachers, and children. Over 100 participants in a 24' by 20' room talked about the bedkit items for over an hour. Much was learned including their preference for an umbrella instead of the raincoat (to provide shade as well as protect from the rain), and their desire to alter the quilt so that it could be washed more readily.

From Pune 2010 Photos

Saturday was more of a catch-up day with some team members writing their newsletter articles and others shopping. Jean and I went to a school site in a Hindu temple where students had received bedkits two years ago. Here we met with two groups of parents, teachers, and children, as well as visited homes.

On both days it was evident that the bedkit items had been used, had had a positive impact on the children’s lives, and had been so valuable as to have been repaired by hand in many cases so that they would remain functional well beyond a normal life span. The bedding items tended to last longer than the clothing and school supply items.

Saturday night it was the Rotary Club of Pune’s Wrap-Up dinner celebrating their involvement with SCAW and their success with a Rubella program: great food and great fellowship. Before the festivities we had a one-hour Post-Distribution Meeting so that all volunteers could pass on their opinions on our successes and areas where we could make things even better.

This morning as I write this blog the team is preparing to depart in a variety of directions. This is a great SCAW team: hard working, caring, fun to be with, they are the perfect match for our Rotarian and teacher partners. My thanks to them all!

Dave Dryden
Team Pune 2010

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