Today was unusual in that we
were involved in two different distributions within 24 hours. The bonus
of this was that we enjoyed both second breakfast and lunch provided by
our wonderful hosts. The second breakfast was particularly interesting
as it was finished up with the treat of a local delicacy, date palm
molasses, somewhat similar to our Canadian maple syrup. At both of our
sites today we were overwhelmed by the reception that we received by our
adult hosts as well as the children. They seemed amazed by our
appearance and presence in their town.
This morning's distribution site was organized differently so we
had time to enjoy shaking the hands of the children and giving high
fives all along the line of patiently waiting children and their
guardians. This was the first time that a distribution has been held in
this community and as such, our hosts were particularly grateful for
the opportunity. Our team was particularly impacted by the story of one
mother who had recently lost her husband and had no way of earning an
income. She and her son were overwhelmed by the generosity of our
donors, and how this bedkit will improve the quality of life for this
family.
We travelled two hours further east , nearly to the border with
Bangladesh, for our second distribution of the day. Driving through the
many communities on our way to the distribution many of the team
members commented on the bustling market areas of each town. The sense
of community carried over to the distribution with many local volunteers
observing and assisting. The enthusiasm of the children at this site
was particularly memorable, with their requests for an encore
performance of head and shoulders. We were warmed by the fact that four
young girls who missed the first distribution of the day were
transported to the second site so that they could still receive the gift
of their bedkit. Kathleen and Debbie were the recipients of enormous
hugs as these young girls showed their appreciation.
What a day!!!
Team Kolkata 2014
