We made a visit to a tailor shop where all the clothing for the 7,000 bedkits were made for this distribution. This is all accomplished in an extremely small space of two rooms in which five employees using very old Singer sewing machines work very hard for four months to produce the beautiful dresses, shirts and shorts given to the children.
The tailor and his assistant come to each distribution site to ensure that each child is fitted properly for their new clothing. It is amazing how he can take one look at a child and chose the proper size.
For the children and their family, this is a very special day. The children’s hair is done in braids and decorated with flowers and barrettes. They look their Sunday best!
The evening was spent with our Belgaum Rotary hosts visiting a swimming pool which they financed, built and operate.
This pool is open to all the children from the variously handicapped to high-level athletes. We heard amazing stories about the children’s accomplishments. One young man who did his training at the pool swam the English Channel with just one arm. Neither deafness, blindness, delayed development or physical impairment can hold any of these children from enjoying the water or earning medals for India in international competitions. The head coach in charge of the pool, is extremely energetic and passionate about his work.
This concludes another busy, wonderful and inspiring day. Going on a SCAW distribution is truly an ongoing adventure, full of long days, lots of fun, with the reward of smiling children happily going home for a good night’s sleep!
Carol Diening for
Team Belgaum 2019
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