SCAWphilippines is an identifying moniker used by five key families in Manila to highlight the SCAW program to people in the Philippines.
Originally started in 1990 by the Kiwanis, this is still one of their favorite projects. This small group includes the Torres, Navarro, Lucero, Lazatin, and Gonzales families. It soon became much larger and it seems like a 'rite of passage' that, not only sons and daughters help out, but cousins, aunts and other relatives by marriage generously contribute their time and effort as well.
That, however, is only the core group. Various organizations (service clubs, church groups, religious organizations, colleges) may indicate an interest in hosting a Sleeping Children distribution. To do this and be recognized by
SCAWphilippines they have an inspection list that must be met which includes more than twenty qualifiers. These are: a local volunteer base, a securable facility, children's dressing rooms, numbering systems, children's arrival procedures and leaving procedures, security, suitability of the site for sun, rain, heat, fans, and accessibility, as well as the presence of previous year's recipients in the area that can help that day. When these qualifiers are met, the organization moves up the list. So we, as Canadian volunteers, are pleased to see that the most eager groups are granted the distribution rather than the ''same groups as last year.''
Another reason for this great success story is the fact that
SCAWphilippines does not leave the chosen group on their own on the day of distribution but are on site early to oversee the procedures. Imagine one of the most overwhelming jobs to a new group is to efficiently accept the child, change them into their new Sleeping Children outfits, store the arrival clothes, and then get them all back to the child as he/she leaves with their new bedkit within a short time period. The child is very attached to the arrival clothes and tears occur if their favorites are not returned.
So to a Canadian volunteer travelling seventeen hours through twelve time zones -- jet-lagged and adjusting -- it seems like easy work compared to the organizational efforts of our valued SCAW overseas partners,
SCAWphilippines.
Tom Chudleigh
for Team Philippines 2011Post your comments here.
