A
key element of the Sleeping Children Around The World bedkit program is
to generate local economic benefit in the countries where distributions
occur. In Tanzania, a local manufacturer Unoplast Limited supplies the
major item in the bedkit, the mattress. Parents and children's faces
light up when, before each distribution, we speak with them and show
them the colourful mattress each child will be receiving.
Unoplast
has been supplying mattresses for over ten years for the bedkit
program. Each year Mama Wandoa, the head
of our overseas partner organization, gets at least three competitive
quotes, but Unoplast has always earned the contract to supply the
mattresses. This year Unoplast supplied 50 mattresses at no cost.
Their Marketing Manager, Mr. Chirag Patel, spoke to the SCAW team of
the importance their firm and management team places on their
participation in the bedkit program (you can see an excerpt of Mr
Patel's comments in the wonderful one-minute video that team member Lori
Albrecht created and is below).
Mr
Patel and Unoplast went "above and beyond" being an excellent supplier
at Saturday's distribution for albinos and other challenged
children. As promised, Mr. Patel arrived at the distribution site with
a medical doctor, Dr. Stanley Lwiza, and Nurse Elizabeth Kondela to
examine the children. Twenty-two of the most at-risk children were
given a thorough physical examination, and the doctor and nurse
discussed the results with each child's parents. The medical staff
provided suggestions to the parents for treatments that would help their
children, and in some cases referrals to specialists for follow-up.
I
spoke with the Doctor and Nurse following their work, and it was clear
that they were moved by the experience. They said they would be
willing to come back next year to examine other children who were to
receive bedkits, and provide what advice they could offer to their
parents.
Sleeping
Children Around The World and Upendo Information and Counselling Centre
wishes to express their appreciation to Dr. Lwiza and Nurse Kondela,
and to Chirag Patel and Unoplast for making the visit possible by these
medical professionals.
We
tried to say "thank you" to Mr Patel by having him hand out bedkits to
the challenged children. I hope Mr Patel and his family enjoy these two
photos, and that in some small way they can express our team's
appreciation to him.
Team Tanzania 2013
