SCAW Live Reports Blog

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Khulna to Pabna to Domar to Dhaka, a three-day Bangladesh road trip that took us -- as the distribution blogs said -- to the Northwestern area of Bangladesh.

The faithful readers of different distribution’s blogs and reports understand well the crazy, chaotic yet rhythmic flow of traffic with such an eclectic range of conveyances so I won’t bore you with further descriptors. However, the pit stops are all unique: for example, stopping for a mid-afternoon snack at a street vendor (we have great confidence in our robust immune system!) and sampling his Deem Chop (deep fried battered hard boiled egg), Aloo Chop (deep fried battered potato), and Pakura (deep fried battered vegetables) all washed down with street tea. Yummy! Oh, did I mention the dried cow dung fuel sticks firing up the oil pot? We have taken a pact to not eat anything deep fried and battered for at least a month after we come home.

At every stop the friendly curious crowd gathers and it is great fun to “kid around” as we wait for our snacks and meet some of the cool characters that are part of the crowd: a kid with his very iffy go-kart made with three sticks and roller bearings and a happy guy with his “pan tongue.”

Many people chew pan, a beetle nut leaf wrap (nicotine) with twenty-one different ingredients including spices and sweets that leaves a red stain on teeth and mouth.

But most importantly this road trip was all about camaraderie amongst our extended Rotary and Sleeping Children members as we “help the world, one child at a time” reaching out to the poorer areas of Bangladesh.

... Stayed tuned, more travel ahead -- including a tea plantation distribution, Hill tract kids receiving bedkits for the first time and much more ...

Doug MacDougald
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Monday, 1 November 2010

Nicaragua: The team arrives

Our Canadian SCAW team has landed safely in hot and sunny Managua, Nicaragua. After a quick wash-up, we met to "rehearse" our bedkit set-up and then on to meet with our Rotarian partners.

After finalizing plans for the next twelve days, we enjoyed a scrumptious Nicaraguan dinner in a local outdoor restaurant, eating under the palm trees and serenaded by a local musician. We are so ready to sleep tonight, yet so eager to get started with the children tomorrow.

Patti Jones
for Team Nicaragua 2010

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Bangladesh: Our day in Domar

There is a special reason why we travelled so far to the northwest region of Bangladesh for a bedkit distribution in the village of Domar. Khaliq, one of the Rotarian coordinators was born in this region and lived there until he was a year and a half. His family taught him he has a responsibility: “You received the nutrients of the land and you need to repay this debt.” Thus we travelled with Khaliq to one of the poorest areas of Bangladesh to help the children.

We woke up to our first day of overcast with the occasional sprinkle of rain.

When we arrived at the village all 310 children who were to receive bedkits and their families were gathered under a very large tent. Khaliq’s uncle, Abbasi, had organized approximately forty-five minutes of entertainment while the six of us from SCAW set up the distribution flow and photography area. There was plenty of singing by the children. And just before the distribution started Kathy and I sang "O Canada" to the crowd. It’s highly unlikely we will be found at a stadium conducting opening ceremonies anytime soon.

Part way through the distribution there was a pause while some of the children changed into their new clothes. Doug and Mike went into the crowd to have fun with the bubble-makers we brought with us. One benefit of today’s weather was that the bubbles lasted longer than usual. The children thoroughly enjoyed that impromptu entertainment.

When we set up our photography area we placed two rickshawvans in the background with both owners agreeing to leave their vehicles for the couple of hours required to take pictures. But half way through when our backs were turned one of the drivers snuck in and was taking his away. We were able to convince him with some taka-help ($) to leave it but found out at the end his child had received a bedkit early in the distribution and his wife and child were waiting for him to take them home! Oops, the challenges of communication!

After the last bedkit was handed out we all agreed that today’s distribution ran smoothly and that Khaliq’s uncle, Abbasi, had done an excellent job of organizing today’s event and venue. The special part of today’s venue was it allowed the families and community to be very close to our team and the distribution site with, by the end, the crowd cheering and clapping the completion of every photo.

Steve Allen
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Nicaragua: The team prepares

From Nicaragua 2010

On October 31^st the Nicaragua team met at SCAW headquarters, the Dryden family home at 28 Pinehurst, to sort the labels for their distribution of 5,000 bedkits in Nicaragua this month.

The six-member team is (Left to right): Patti Jones, Joan Hryniw (Team Leader), Garrick Byers, Dennis Jones, Janet Helmer, and Judy Dryden.

You can see photos of the label sort in the Nicaragua 2010 Photo Album.

Early on the 1^st of November they boarded the plane for Nicaragua.

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Sunday, 31 October 2010

Bangladesh: Day 5, Pabna

It takes a village …

As we arrive by bus at today’s distribution site in the town of Madpur on the outskirts of Pabna, we see a sign hanging over the entrance to the driveway welcoming the SCAW Canada and Rotary Club of Dhaka Team.

We exit the bus and begin walking a gauntlet of applause from the children, parents, and grandparents. Many of the village locals have come just to watch. While many foreigners visit Bangladesh they usually stay in the major cities so few (if any) of today’s onlookers have ever seen a white person. The colour of our pale skin draws lots of attention and the kids (and adults) are eager to touch us, to feel something new.

This is a new location for a SCAW distribution, Gulnar Children’s Hospital. Our host comes from a long line of physicians and the hospital is named after his departed Mother’s family name.
A colourful tent has been set up as change rooms for the children and to keep them shaded from the scorching sun. This is the poorest area we’ve been to so far, and some of the children arrive without shoes or shirts. This reinforces why we are travelling many hours to reach these poor communities. We spend a few minutes with the bubbles and the duck puppet to help the children - and parents - feel more at ease. The parents and grandparents have just as much fun blowing the bubbles as the kids do.

The venue is small and the distribution of 280 bedkits gave us a great opportunity to interact with many of the parents and local onlookers.

As the distribution wraps up we spend a few minutes to hear from local dignitaries, the site sponsor, and the children and parents. Those who have received bedkits are ever so thankful, while the parents of those who didn’t receive this year speak clearly into the microphone about how they hope and pray that the program will continue and that their children will be blessed enough to get one next year.

After packing up the equipment we are offered a tour of the hospital and we jump at the opportunity. The hospital sees between fifty and seventy-five children a day, even though the facilities and staffing are meagre (at best). The doctor mentions the desperate need for pediatric doctors and nurses to come and help.

As we walk back to the bus we are reminded that it really does take a village…

Danielle Lalonde
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Saturday, 30 October 2010

Bangladesh: 372 Bedkit in Khulna

Bangladesh 2010
The team is sending lots of photos so please check out their Photo Album.

Click on the photo at right and select Slideshow when you go to the album.

Today we delivered 372 bedkits with the sponsorship and assistance of seven Rotary Clubs in the Khulna area. There were children from over ten schools, some coming from as far as seventy kilometers.

The venue was at a Rotary-funded school and we were given a rousing reception by the school children at the school; we enjoyed taking pictures of the children and shaking hands with them so much that their teachers were forced to hush them back into the classrooms.

We chose a good shady spot for the setups for the picture-taking, among trees and down-loaded the bedkits into piles organized by bedkits for girls and boys in two sizes.

We were greatly assisted in the distribution by the members of the Dhaka Rotary Club, as well as three Rotaractors: Shohel, Didar, and Forhad from Dhaka. As well, we had assistance from the Boy Scout Club in Khulna and others.

The delivery went so smoothly that we freed up Kathy to do a couple of interviews with parents that were quite interesting.

One very interesting event was to meet up with Rtn. Ferdousi Ali, the first woman Rotarian in Bangladesh.

Khulna is an industrial city and a major port in Bangladesh with a population of over three million people and is close to a UNESCO heritage site.

Andy Greiner
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Friday, 29 October 2010

Bangladesh: From Barisal to Khulna

We left Barisal at 6 AM on the Rocket, a paddleboat steamer built in 1929 in Calcutta. The 5 AM arrival to the dock area was alive with rickshaw horns and driver shouts (possibly curses) as the traffic snarled to a standstill. We finally gave up and lugged our gear to the steamer.

It was then the harbour’s turn to come alive as a beautiful dawn broke over the Kittankhola River and as we started the journey down ten different rivers arriving in Khulna late evening.

We stopped at numerous interesting ports allowing a glimpse of life so different from ours. Kids especially would crowd around us at the docks, friendly and curious about us as to why we were here.

These rivers with the myriad of boats and ships move goods and people the same way as our highways do. Of course fishing boats zigzag all over the river as they work at feeding the people of Bangladesh. We enjoyed Hilsha, the national fish of Bangladesh for lunch and caught in these same waters.

This was a day of relaxation spent mostly on the front deck of the Rocket enjoying the unfolding river in the company of the Sleeping Children and Rotary Team, and after 2,832 bedkits in three days we needed the rest.

In addition to great food, scenery, and camaraderie, we also enjoyed the services of the shoeshine guy that was on the ship. He proceeded to shine, buff, and primp ten pairs of boots, sandals, running shoes and flip flops – anything we had on our feet! He clearly was an artist at his craft, spent one and a half hours doing this work, and his regular charge would be 100 taka ($3). We gave him 1000 taka ($15) and made his day – but disaster struck as he was packing up his tools. The 1000 taka bill slipped out of his shirt pocket and disappeared in the wind over the river. What a look of despair on this poor man’s face but we quickly gave him another 1000 taka’s and all was and is right with the day.

It is all fun as we help the world one child at a time.

Doug MacDougald
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Bangladesh: Barisal, The Third Distribution

What a day of excitement, colour, high intensity and fun!

We were greeted by a family gathering of thousands. Not only did the 1,032 children show up from the local village and surrounding districts, but all the local families were there to witness the distibution of today's bedkits.

What friendly people and so glad to see us. The children were welcomed not only by us but also by the large number of volunteers that helped. They smiled, clapped and "thumbs'd up" when they received their bedkits. Lots of hand shaking and practising of their English: "Welcome and Thank you."

We had lots of fun with this distribution and many of us were being constantly touched by these children.

We finished the evening with a local supper provided by Captain Moazzam, President of the Rotary Club of Dhaka with pigeon and prawns on the menu. An hour evening ride in rickshaws throughout the village ended a wonderful day for all of us.

Mike Foster
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Thursday, 28 October 2010

Bangladesh: Overnight to Barisal

What an action packed 24 hours since the last blog. An hour and a half of chaotic gridlock to the harbour and boarding the Sunderban, the launch (ferry) for the overnight to Barisal, experiencing the very interesting and exotic harbour life through the evening and an early arrival the next morning to start the 1,000 bedkit distribution after having breakfast in a good Bangladeshi “joint” (restaurant).

We were not very rested on arrival in part due to trying to sleep on a packed and noisy ship but mostly because of Steve’s early morning mishap. Mike and I shared a very small cabin with enough room for two cots and Andy and Steve were two rooms away. I woke up about 2 AM to guys yakking outside our room and went out to find Steve looking a little distraught with the story of going to the common washroom at the end of the corridor, locking the cabin door from the outside -- there is no latch thus it does not open from the inside if locked -- when leaving and with no pockets shoved the key under his arm. While in the washroom the key fell and bounced into the floor level toilet and then proceeded into the Padma River, part of the Ganges River. So Steve had a dilemma with Andy locked in the cabin at 2 AM! After finally finding someone to help it became apparent there was no spare or master key and so the noise out in the corridor was four guys with a box of hundreds of keys trying them one by one with Andy watching through the cabin window. Planning was well underway to break into the room when near the bottom of the pile of key, one worked! Crisis averted but way too much excitement in the middle of the night!

After a long and challenging distribution (More about that in the next report.) we unwound into the early evening with a long rickshaw ride through the beautiful countryside outside Barisal. From the looks and hoots from people along the way you can bet there are not many times six Canadian are riding rickshaws through the tiny villages of that part of Bangladesh. Wonderful experiences!

Tomorrow is a day off and a day on the “Rocket,” a river paddleboat taking us to our next distribution.

Maybe we will see a Bengal tiger?

Doug MacDougald
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Bangladesh: Day 2 - 783 kids

Click for the Photo Album.
More photos from Bangladesh 2010

Hey, do we have a team!

Day 2 and 783 bedkits later, worked through some distribution wrinkles yesterday and everyone had fun today -- especially 783 kids!

A recuring theme is kids just want to have fun and today was full of laughs, bubbles, frisbees, thumbfights, "quacker" (Mike's stuffed duck) and boy do you know it is working when the kids are giving a thumbsup when the bedkit picture is taken. How cool is that?

All good here in Bangladesh everyone. We are rushing out the door to catch an overnight launch (ferry boat) to our next distribution. Stay tuned!

Doug MacDougald
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Tuesday, 26 October 2010

Bangladesh: Our first distribution

After months of waiting for our first distribution assignment, here we are – standing in Bangladesh waiting for the first bus of children to arrive.

The first bus pulls up shortly after 8 am, followed by another ten minutes later, then another, then another. Within the hour a sea of children filled the distribution courtyard.

Some travelled as far as 150 km, and many arrived without so much as shoes on their feet. A small grin creeps across our faces as we know that when the kids open their bedkit they’ll find a pair of brand new flip flops.

As wave after wave of children come and go from the courtyard it becomes apparent to us how much time and effort was put forth by the Rotary Club of Dhaka to arrange and organize today’s distribution. Hats off to their team.

First stop – changing into their new donated outfits. The girls appear from the change room in beautiful and colourful salwar kameezes. The boys have new pants and a warm shirt for the approaching winter months.

Next stop – picture time. The children are set up. Some sit, some stand. “Everyone smile.”

And now, for the best part – the bedkit. We share a word or two with each child ... whatever we can communicate in the two different languages. Some hesitate as they take the big bundle. Some of the smallest kids quickly and easily hoist the heavy bed kits up onto their heads and head for the gate with a huge smile across their face.

As they leave we are overwhelmed with the pride and emotion of being part of such a great experience.

After the last child gets on the last bus, the joint SCAW/Rotary Club of Dhaka Team celebrates a successful Day One over a meal.

Good Night from Bangladesh,
SCAW Newbie #1: Steve Allen
SCAW Newbie #2: Danielle Lalonde
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Monday, 25 October 2010

Bangladesh: Getting ready in Dhaka

First day with all of the team together in Dhaka with the last of us arriving early this morning.

We spent the day acclimatizing, meeting the Rotary club group for the pre-distribution meeting, visiting the warehouse where the bedkits are stored, and getting ready to rock 'n roll tomorrow for a test by fire with 1,114 kids receiving bedkits. This is way over what we will normally do but stay tuned on our various travels to the outlying areas of Bangladesh and it will become clear why we are packing a bunch in early.

We also strolled the streets seeing the unusual sights of Dhaka life including a market with the boys pretty excited about selling their vegetables and a guy quite happy about his prowess with fish.

Doug MacDougald
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Saturday, 23 October 2010

Bangladesh: Preparations

The Rotary Club of Dhaka is in full swing for the upcoming Bangladesh distribution. All of the 6,000 bedkits have been packed and are in the process of being shipping to the various parts of Bangladesh that will be visited over the next two weeks during the distribution.

464 bedkits are being moved from the storage warehouse into the awaiting truck bound for Cox's Bazar. Over the next couple of days all bedkits will have been shipped and reached their final destination in preparation for the arrival of the Bangladesh 2010 team from Canada.

Mike Foster
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Tuesday, 19 October 2010

Bangladesh: Team is collecting

The Bangladesh Team 2010 is getting organized. Some have already left for Bangladesh and the rest will arrive Monday Oct 25th in Dhaka, a city of 15 million and the capital of Bangladesh with a population of 156 million. This is a country that is twice the size of New Brunswick with a population of greater than 1000 people per square kilometer. It is hard to imagine isn’t it living here in North America?

We have a great itinerary planned and it will take us to the four corners of the country with 6,000 bedkits distributed to 6,000 of the poorest kids in some areas Sleeping Children have never travelled to.

We will travel by most available conveyances: overnight steamer ferry, river paddleboat, bus, train, car, plane and rickshaw! – these are the ones we know!

The team is excited and challenged, but able, and thanks everyone involved in Sleeping Children Around the World for “helping the world, one child at a time.”

Stay tuned to our blog.

Doug MacDougald
for Bangladesh Team 2010

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Read about the trip in the Stratford Beacon Herald.

Monday, 11 October 2010

Bangladesh: Volunteers prepare

This weekend the SCAW Bangladesh team met at 28 Pinehurst to prepare for their distribution of 6,000 bedkits later in the month.

Shown at the front door is the Canadian team: (Left to right): Steve Allen, Kathy Greiner, Doug MacDougald (Team Leader), Mike Foster, Danielle Lalonde, and Andy Greiner.

Meanwhile, preparations were also taking place in Dhaka where the Rotary Club of Dhaka team had a quality assurance meeting at the warehouse where the bedkit items are stored.

They are (Left to right): Bayezid, Khaliq, Ranjan, Masud, Faruk, Apu, and Rowly.

Watch this space for more reports as the teams get together in two weeks.

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Tuesday, 28 September 2010

Tanzania: Trip Reports Posted

The donor newsletter for the Tanzania bedkit distribution has gone to print and can be downloaded from the Sleeping Children Website.

Tanzania 2010 Photos

Photos are available in the Tanzania 2010 Photo Album. You can view them by clicking the link above.

If you would like to read the reports on the web, you can read them in their entirety here.

Here is a download link for the PDF version of the newsletter.

Monday, 27 September 2010

Honduras: Distribution complete

Yesterday, the last of the 5,000 bedkits were distributed. Threats of a tropical storm had almost suspended the distribution, but we ran with our luck and managed a successful day once again. Umbrellas were in sight as children were shepherded from station to station by the volunteers before receiving their bedkits. Soldiers in camouflage ponchos quickly guided and escorted the children onto waiting busses for safe journeys home. Fortunately, the weather forecast was worse than the reality of the storm here in Tegucigalpa. And the bright smiles of happy children shone brightened and lightened the atmosphere.

The constant torrential rains have decimated the hillsides, flooded homes, and made some roads impassable. Crops have been destroyed. One cannot fully describe the conditions in which these poor children live. Mother Nature has added considerable more hardship to their families.

We leave with some hope that our gifts of bedkits will alleviate some of the suffering. We have not been able to touch all of the children in need, but we do know that many of them know that someone in Canada loves them.

Irene Harrison
For Team Honduras 2010

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Saturday, 25 September 2010

Honduras: Rain and Hurricane Matthew

We finished our 8^th day of bedkit distributions to over 600 children. Unfortunately we saw a lot of deaf and physically- and mentally-challenged in this inner-city school site.

But today we had lots of help from not only Rotary Club members and their families and friends, but also from about a dozen dentistry students. They looked sharp and brightened the distribution, threatened with dark clouds and rain, in their white lab coats.

Only one more day left, but a hurricane is expected at midnight.

Stay tuned.

Rae Waring
For Team Honduras 2010

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Friday, 24 September 2010

Honduras: House visit

What an immensely informative and emotionally mind boggling day.

Today our team, along with some Rotarians, went to visit some of the houses of the children receiving the bedkits. When we first showed up to the area being visited we saw what looked like a respectable brick home. After this sight, I thought, "This won't be that bad."

We all got out of our vehicles and were told that the house we were visiting was in from the road and not the brick one. As we walked along the barbed-wire fence I noticed that my smiles were being returned in a different way than in the city. As we entered the dirt-floored houses, not only were they very small (12 x 16), but they also had a brutal angle with a stream of water going through the middle. No plumbing and one ceiling light.

The families, mostly female, were happy with the love they have for each other as they do not have a choice with their surroundings. It's very gratifying to know that the bedkits distributed are being put to good use in these distressing conditions.

Greg Hotchkiss
For Team Honduras 2010

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Thursday, 23 September 2010

Honduras: Difficult times

It is the rainy season here in Tegucigalpa. Daily thunder showers are the norm, sometimes accompanied by brisk winds. This combination wreaks havoc: bridges collapse, mudslides make roads impassable, and homes of those already in dire straits are rendered unlivable. Even the national football stadium could not withstand a sudden, but short, gale the other day and a part of it collapsed.

But the hand of fate has been very gentle and kind to us and carried us through all our distributions successfully. We manage to finish our work just as the rains begin and both children and volunteers are spared a total drenching. Finding a spot to take pictures has sometimes been troublesome as the grounds are wet and walking is hampered by sinking ground beneath our feet.

But the euphoria that carries us from day to day as we help in providing some comfort for the children of Honduras can not be dampened. We know we have touched the lives of many children -- over 3500 to date -- bringing much comfort and ensuring them a good night's sleep. It touches us deeply to see their broad smiles when they realize that the entire bedkit is theirs.

Mothers seem to deem the mosquito net and blanket as particularly important; the children, also recognize the value of these items, but sometimes express great delight to have a pillow - a real treat.

We have had tremendous support from the Rotarians of Tegucigalpa, their wives and many young Rotaracts. The entire project is also supported by the First Lady's Office and many volunteers under her auspices attend each distribution. We are particularly grateful for Miguel, deemed an honorary member of our team, who assists us at the photo site. He has an ability
to work with children, allay their anxieties and bring assurance particularly to those who are disabled, blind, or upset. Without him, our work would be much more difficult.

On the way home from the last distribution, we heard a song whose lyrics repeated the phrase "we belong here." The presence of SCAW and its commitment to help the children of Honduras is particularly important at a time when the poor have lost their crops, sometimes their homes, due to the heavy rains.

And, indeed, we do belong here.

Irene Harrison
For Team Honduras 2010

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Monday, 20 September 2010

Honduras: Making a difference

Today's distribution took place at a school in one of the very poorest sections of Tegucigalpa.

In Tegucigalpa 70% of the population live below the poverty level. The typical home in this area is made of any combination of available materials such as wood, aluminum, stone, and plaster. Most frightening is that the houses are built on the side of very steep hills where heavy rains during the six-month-long rainy season pose a constant danger.

The children were brought to the school in military buses and trucks. Military security was obvious to everyone outside and inside the school. I spent an hour or so interviewing three mothers and a grandmother of children receiving the bedkits. From their perspective the most important items in the kit were the mosquito net and the mattress. Only one of the families had a mosquito net in their house and it was used exclusively for a baby.

It was very humbling talking to these folks and I began to understand how SCAW is making a difference in the lives of these families.

Jim Gibson
For Team Honduras 2010

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Sunday, 19 September 2010

Honduras: First time distribution

Zimbabwe 2010 Photo Album

I am having an amazing experience here in Honduras! It's my first time on a distribution and it's really been incredible. So far we've distributed over 1700 bedkits in three different schools in the capital city, and in the outlying countryside. I've had so much fun playing catch with the children while they waited in line to get their picture taken, as well as seeing their faces light up when I've handed them their bedkit. They're really sweet children and when they smile at you and say "gracias", it's such a gratifying feeling!

The Rotary Club here has been great to work with. On Friday we had a special opportunity to attend a meeting they arranged with The First Lady of Honduras at the Presidential Palace. Through her translator she expressed great appreciation for all that SCAW has done to help the children of Honduras. Their was a lengthy discussion on the desperate need for mosquito nets and the issue of Dengue fever which has killed 69 people so far and made numerous others very ill. As there isn't a vaccination yet to prevent this, the nets are essential. Every bedkit we're handing out includes a treated mosquito net so this trip alone will result in over 5000 children being protected.

It's very rewarding being part of making such a difference in a child's life and seeing Murray Dryden's dream continue. Seeing it all first hand makes me have an even deeper respect for this amazing charity! Can't wait to see the kids again and give out more bedkits!

Susan Hicks
For Team Honduras 2010

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Thursday, 16 September 2010

Honduras: Our first distribution

From Honduras Photos

"Hola, Canada," from Team Honduras 2010.

We finished our first day of distribution quite early. We were situated in the central court of a School for the Blind in mid-town Tegucigalpa. The students were on holiday for a week and home visiting their families. Thus the school was empty but for the children bussed to the distribution from neighbouring barrios.

We photographed 523 gorgeous kids and enjoyed every minute.

My memory for the day was the interaction of the soldiers who will be present at each distribution with the little children. There they were with their camouflage jumpsuits and strapped on holster guns -- but they had the kindest faces and gentlest ways as they helped the little ones carry their bedkits to the busses. I will remember this contrast and this love.

Tomorrow we are back to work for Day 2.

Marilyn Waring,
For Team Honduras 2010

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Wednesday, 15 September 2010

Honduras: The team has arrived

From Honduras Photos

The team has now all arrived [Left to right: Jim Gibson, Irene Harrison (Team Leader), Marilyn Waring, Susan Hicks, Greg Hotchkiss, Rae Waring.] amidst the colour and celebrations of Honduras' Independence Day and national holiday. Along with the official parade and festivities held at the huge, local football stadium in Tegucigalpa, a parade of thousands marched in colourful garb, waving flags and slogans of every political persuasion and self-interest group through the streets to the city centre. 'Twas a colourful initiation for those of us who watched the action right outside our hotel.

Tomorrow a more sombre day awaits us as we see the reality of poverty in Honduras. But it will be an equally joyous day when we witness the beautiful smiles of hundreds of children receiving bedkits. For the children of Honduras, thank you friends and donors for making it a very special day for so many.

Irene Harrison,
For SCAW Team Honduras 2010

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Tuesday, 24 August 2010

Zimbabwe trip reports posted

The donor newsletter for the Zimbabwe bedkit distribution has gone to print and can be downloaded from the Sleeping Children Website.

Photos are available in the Zimbabwe 2010 Photo Album. You can view them by clicking the link above.

If you would like to read the reports on the web, you can read them in their entirety here.

Here is a download link for the PDF version of the newsletter.

Wednesday, 18 August 2010

Tanzania: Mission Accomplished

From Tanzania 2010 Photos
"I am nothing without someone else. If he slips and stumbles I will stumble with him, if I cannot hold him up."
— Ritual chant of Mali

We "held up" 7,000 needy little ones with the support of our donors and the SCAW and the Tanzanian volunteers.

A bitter sweet day .... no more 4:30 a.m. wake up calls, but no more dark inquiring eyes and beautiful smiles!

Kwa heri (goodbye), Tanzania.

Team Tanzania 2010

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Monday, 16 August 2010

Tanzania: Sunday, day of rest and surprises

Mama Wandoa is a woman of strong constitution and even stronger religious conviction. A staunch Lutheran with little financial resources, she assumes the responsibility of the SCAW distribution with a shrug of her shoulders that there is no money in the bank and the deep faith that God will provide.

And by heavens, it all falls into place!

You already know that 100% of the funds wired goes towards the bedkits. It is the responsibility of our Overseas Volunteers to cover all other incurred costs like transportation and storage of the bedkits.

With support from her church and friends in Tanzania and Canada, Mama Wandoa covers the costs of travelling the long distances to inspect the distribution sites, transport the bedkits, stipends and meals for the volunteers who so ardently package the bedkit items and load the trucks, and myriads of other expenses.

She also manages to convince the manufacturers that it is their corporate responsibility to help the children of Tanzania. For example, the mattress manufacturer has provided the mattress at the same price for three years even though the cost of foam has increased considerably. He also stores the 7,000 mattresses at the factory, allowing the volunteers to load 700 per day onto the trucks.

One of the highlights of a Tanzanian distribution is attending a Sunday Service with Mama Wandoa, who is a respected Elder and Teacher. We are introduced to the the congregation and SCAW's mission is explained. We are asked to say a few words. We understand very little of the liturgy which is in Swahili but enjoy picking out the few words we have learned. Mama conscripts translators from the congregation to sit beside us and translate and guide us through the readings and responses. Because Swahili is phonetically similar to English, we are able to sing along with the kwayas (choirs).

The kwayas blow us away! The singing is rich and powerful with a range of voices in harmony and dance routines. It is moving to see the congregation worship with every fibre of their being as though each one is intimately connected to God.

Then the surprise ... there is a special In Memorial offering for the AIDS orphans supported by the church in memory of Ken Webb (Linda's husband, Christopher's father) and Linda and Christopher, surrounded by the orphans and the SCAW team, are called to the front of the altar to receive a blessing from the Bishop.

The tears flow ... but they are joyful tears!

Team Tanzania 2010

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Sunday, 15 August 2010

Tanzania: Ibariki Africa

Click to watch the video.

Each morning, as the team van pulls up to the school we are visiting we are met by the many school children also arriving to start their day. As we prepare the layout for the distribution, and set up the bedkit and camera for photo taking, the young pupils are also preparing for their day - sweeping the leaves around the school yard, dropping off the firewood they have collected on their way to school, watering the plants, and even cutting the grass in the school yard.

When both the SCAW team and the school children are ready to begin their day, there is usually time for a small break so that we can attend the school's morning assembly. We are welcomed with many smiles and "Good morning" and we are always greeted by the sound of drums and singing voices.

In perfect order, and with each and every child singing proudly, we often hear the very beautiful song Mungu ibariki Africa which is the National Anthem of Tanzania.
We were given a translation of the words by a teacher, and thought we would share them with you with some of the swahili words to help you follow.
Click on the thumbnail to go to the video.:

God Bless Africa.
Bless its leaders.
Let Wisdom Unity and
Peace be the shield of
Africa and its people.

Ibariki Africa (Bless Africa),
Ibariki Africa (Bless Africa),
Tubariki watoto wa Africa (Bless Africa and its Children).

God Bless Tanzania.
Grant eternal Freedom and Unity
To its sons and daughters.
God Bless Tanzania and its People.

Ibariki Tanzania (Bless Tanzania),
Ibariki Tanzania (Bless Tanzania),
Tubariki watoto wa Tanzania (Bless Tanzania and its Children).

Team Tanzania 2010

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Thursday, 12 August 2010

Tanzania: The Survey

Day 6 & 7

One of the expectations of SCAW volunteers is to survey parents and children who are receiving bedkits about the quality and usefulness of the items included. Recipients are asked for feedback about what is included in the bedkit and also encouraged to make suggestions about additional items that would be useful to them.

This helps the team and Mama Wandoa make decisions about bedkit items for future distributions and gives us important insights into the lives of the families.

Heather, Cathy, and Beth have been conducting surveys this week with the help of teacher/translators who have interpreted the questions and answers for short interviews with children, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and other caregivers.

Hearing firsthand the struggles these families face reinforces the importance and value of SCAW’s mission. Talking with children and caregivers has highlighted that malaria, HIV, as well as many dental and skin ailments are part of the daily hardships these families have to deal with. With distance and financial obstacles in their way, many of these people will never see a doctor in their lifetime. Because of this limited access to medical treatment, early death has a profound impact on the family unit – many households share a roof with extended families, including orphaned relatives with numerous branches of the family sharing the same home.

Undugu is a Swahili term for brotherhood but also a Tanzanian philosophy that describes the community spirit of supporting friends and extended family with generosity, consideration, and compassion. This is evident to us every morning, when we are greeted by crowds who have gathered to watch the distribution, whether or not their children have been selected to receive bedkits. One mother expressed her appreciation that SCAW travels directly to these villages to deliver the bedkits personally.