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| From Tanzania 2011 |
This bedkit contains a comfy foam mattress, a huge mosquito net, shoes (flip flops), six notebooks, three pencils, three pens, a backpack, material for a school uniform, and material for a bedsheet and of course the bag it all comes in.
I have attached a picture of a little boy (Below) who came up to us during a break and showed us his feet. He had a huge smile on his face. When we realized why - It was because he was wearing his new shoes - the flip flops!!!!
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| From Tanzania 2011 |
We try to show them before they get their pictures taken what is in the bedkit and encourage them to smile, but because they have never had their pictures taken, most of them are quite shy or scared. And even though we encourage them to "checka" (smile), they look at us like "what?????" so we sometimes do a little dance or act silly to get them to laugh. But they are beautiful children!
When we interview them with a parent or guardian, we find out many things. Yesterday when we spoke with tewo families (with the help of our driver Emmanuel), we found out they were both orphans being cared for by relatives and both slept on the ground. Needless to say they were very grateful for the mattress.
Today, when parents were asked what else they would like in their bedkits, they asked for malaria pills or a bicycle so they could get around. Many travelled over two kilometers on foot today in the hot and humid weather. Many of the children are Muslim and since they are currently celebrating Ramadan, they have not eaten since sunrise which is around 6:30 a.m.
You can't help but feel compassion for these children who have so little but are so happy!
Blessings all,
Thereas Carravetta
for SCAW Team Tanzania
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