Loving Those Colours!

In one of our conversations with Mama Wandoa, Benjamin and Wendy, we commented on the vibrant and bright colours on the covers of the mattresses given to the children. They are made by a local factory, Unoplast, and this business has been a partner with Mama for many, many years. The mattresses are a good size and the cloth covers can be removed in order to be washed. For the distribution, there is a layer of plastic on the outside so they can be delivered in pristine condition.

Once produced, the mattresses are stored at the factory, and each day of the distribution drivers from Unoplast bring the mattresses to the school sites. Mama’s Upendo volunteers help them to unload then fold each mattress into thirds, tying them with twine for easy transportation home by the children and their parents.

When Benjamin was handing out the mattresses he invited the children to point at one they liked. What a wonderful opportunity for the children to have a choice in what they would be bringing home! Enjoy these pictures as we know there are many happy smiles behind those masks.

Lala Salama,

Peggy and Jill

New Year / New Start

In our call with Mama and family, we learned that one distribution was held at a school with 7,000 students!  An incredible number for sure, and it only works by running the school day in shifts for students. The school in Mmbande was even bigger a year ago at 9,000 students, but 2,000 students were moved to another site very close by.

Even Mama, a very seasoned SCAW volunteer, was surprised at the number of students and had never seen anything like it.  We learned that the school has grown exponentially since the government waived a fee for children to attend school.

For this distribution, the head teacher was able to give the Upendo team a private site underneath a mango tree which meant that the children had some shade.

The students and their parents are still responsible for their uniforms and school supplies; both of which are in the bedkits that the children are receiving. Mama Wandoa told us that some of the uniforms are looking torn and bedraggled right now.  Mama’s cottage industry makes the new, white shirts, the blue shorts/skirts and each child receives four exercise books, pencils and a ruler.

The students who received bedkits this week are now starting their Christmas break, but when they return in January they will be very proudly wearing their crisp, white shirts and blue shorts/skirts for the new year. They also will have a new cloth gym bag with t-shirt and shorts to wear for gym class or to use as pyjamas at home.

Asante sana (thank you) to our Sleeping Children donors for making this possible.

Asante sana to Mama, Benjamin, Wendy and the Upendo Team  (12 volunteers) for working so hard on behalf of the children.

Lala Salama (sleep well).

Jill and Peggy
Team Tanzania 2021

Oh, how I wish I was there!

For years I have been hearing about Mama Wandoa and her fabulous team in Tanzania. The word used in our earlier post was "formidable", and that she is; as well as being very kind and warm. It was going to be my privilege to be in Tanzania in the summer of 2020, however Covid struck and that was that.

I am so happy to be part of this remote distribution; from the outside looking in, but part of it as best as we can be. 

I have now had the pleasure of “meeting” Mama and her adult children, Benjamin and Wendy and our regular zoom calls gives us an inside look as to how wonderfully they are managing the distribution. Their faces light up when talking about handing out the bedkits and I end every call with the thought of one day getting there and meeting them in person!

Lala Salama (sleep well)

Jill Plasteras (TLA)

Team Tanzania 2021 Distribution, December, 2021

Jambo.

Exciting news that a distribution of 2000 bedkits is happening now in Tanzania thanks to our Overseas Partners, Mama Wandoa, her son Benjamin and eight volunteers with Upendo Counselling Centre. Mama Wandoa and her team have been trusted partners for over twenty years with Sleeping Children Around the World. In a word, she is formidable.

Since we are unable to send team volunteers from Canada due to Covid restrictions, Mama Wandoa, Benjamin and her volunteers are doing all the hard work which is why we call this a “remote” distribution. Jill and Peggy’s roles are to maintain regular contact/communication as the distribution is taking place.

Mama Wandoa contacted the school districts for the names of the children, ordered items from her suppliers: the mattresses, mosquito nets, bed sheets, school supplies, t-shirts and shoes. The backpacks, white shirts, shorts, skirts were made upstairs in Mama Wandoa’s home which is the long-time site of her sewing cottage industry. 7000 backpacks are stored in two of the bedrooms of her home.

From the first day we noticed that all Covid precautions are in place by their team at each distribution site. Washing stations with soap and disinfectant are organized, a volunteer takes the temperature of each child and masks are worn by the students, teachers and volunteers. A great beginning.

Lala salama (sleep well)

By Peggy Morrison, Team Leader and Jill Plasteras Team Leader Associate