During the distribution, members of the team had the opportunity to interview bedkit recipients. This helps us evaluate the contents of the kit and find out more about the families who receive these gifts from our donors.
Julie, Gail and Susan did interviews with the help of the rotarians and learned a lot more about Sri Lanka and the lives of the people in each region we distributed in. Because of the demands on family life, a range of caregivers accompanied children to the distribution and the team was able to interview mothers, fathers and grandparents.
One highlight was the real value of the bedkit, not just in practical terms, but also financially. Some parents told us that the value represented at least three days wages, for an occasional labourer. Work for them is not always regular with farming and industry greatly affected by the changing weather. The rainy season brings particular hardship in some of the areas we worked in; causing crop loss and a variety of health issues.
It has been an emotional experience for the SCAW team, travelling through areas of Sri Lanka that were greatly impacted by civil war in the not-so-distant past. We understand that there will always be a greater need than what we can give, but after seeing 4,500 grateful smiles, the team feels hopeful knowing that a safer and more peaceful future lies ahead for these children.
To close our live reports, we wanted to share a few photos of happy families departing with their bedkits. Thank you for your comments, donations and support.
- Team Sri Lanka 2015
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