Coming from an environment in which we have separate items
or devices available to serve our every need, it is refreshing to see how
resourceful people can be in using one thing for many purposes. A simple item
such as an umbrella comes in very handy during the rainy season to shelter a
child from the rain on the way to school or to cover over a leaky part of the
roof. In the summer it shields the intense rays of the sun. Or turn it upside
down and one can carry home produce from the market. Cow dung patties are
placed on trees, sticks or metal plates to dry in the sun and are later used
for fuel. Small clay pots are used to
serve tea then are tossed on the ground and crushed into the earth. Brooms are
made from long pieces of straw bound together.
On site resourcefulness: We work together with a new group
of Rotarians and volunteers at a new location each day; where we determine the
ideal spot to take photos, to gather the children and determine the traffic
flow towards the bedkit distribution area. At the photo area set up makes use
of various items such as Sarees, planters and even bicycles to create a
suitable backdrop that is reflective of the site.
Resourcefulness and transportation: With many of the families
living only kilometers away from the distribution site, the child could set out
on foot to the distribution site while the parents continued to work for as
long as possible before cycling to the site. After the distribution was
complete, the Bedkit was strapped to the bicycle and transported home by the parent
with the child following soon after on foot.
The SCAW team and many of the Rotarians travelled for many hours to get to the site. Choosing the best route to avoid the traffic as much as possible can be tricky. Avoiding the main routes requires travelling on narrow roads through multiple villages and occasional railway crossings. The SCAW team came up with many innovative and entertaining ways to pass the hours on the road. The team got to know each other better and had an amazing connection with local people who were also caught in the Republic Day traffic. We danced in our seats to music from a nearby truck filled with passengers. Soon the teens on the bus joined us, as the passengers of buses and cars around us smiled and laughed. A break dancer joined in from the side of the road to take the entertainment up a notch. Soon the traffic began to thin out as we made it back to the hotel at 7:42pm and ended another amazing distribution day.
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