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| From Tanzania 2012 |
Today we arrived at a very large school -- the only one in the community. Ulongoni Public School has 3050 students, 35 teachers, and 7 classrooms. There are on average 300 students aged 6 to 14 in each class, and two school times (AM group and PM group). It takes some students up to 3 hours to walk to school, others multiple bus rides (if they can afford it). It was Sleeping Children’s first time at this school and we were greeted with students singing and drumming to songs. A few government members were present overseeing the process, as well as parents, and numerous extremely interested students making large crowds around the team as we set up the site.
Early in the morning, a very special 13-year-old came up to Mama Wandoa remembering her from a SCAW distribution in 2007 in Kitunda. We had the opportunity to interview her and find out how the materials in the bedkit held up, as well as helped her life. She told us, with much emotion, how the bedkit drastically made a difference in her mother and her very minimal life. Both suffer health conditions and, before receiving the bedkit 5 years ago, they slept together on the floor. Sleeping on a mattress made a world of difference to her -- receiving a good night's sleep, being able to wake up early to do things, and so on. As she put it, "Everything changes." She used everything in the bedkit and to this day she still uses the mosquito net as well as the school shirt. She is a leader within the school, and a very sweet teenager.
Along with talking to her, we had the opportunity today to discuss with the community officer the selection process of the children who receive bedkits. In short -- a lot of time and research by the Director of Education and her team goes into selecting those students in need of bedkits (though all of the students are needy).
We finished at the distribution site and went for a visit to the factory where the mattresses are made. We discussed possibilities for mattresses next year and our thoughts on the product we received this year.
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| From Tanzania 2012 |
We are now stuck in a typical Dar Es Salaam traffic jam, being approached by men selling potato chips, stuffed animals, car products, beverages, coat racks, and maps of Africa.
It was a special day to see how much a past bedkit given out impacted one child’s life, and still touches children five years later.
Team Tanzania 2012
