Chennai: Home Visits!

Today was our smallest distribution of 443 students held at a local high school. We were greeted by a delightful band and then had the assistance of about 50 young men of NSS - National Service Scheme. Needless to say the day went very smoothly with their help and the aid of the teachers some of which have been at the school and assisting with SCAW for 11 years.

We then went to the homes of 2 students who received bedkits today to see their homes.

In the first house lived a widowed mother - aged 30, who pays 2500 rupees per month rent for a thatched roof hut covered with multiple layers of plastic tarps.

Picking up plastic, paper and bottles from the trash, she makes about 6000 rupees per month - more if there has been a festival.

The 2nd mother owned her house also with a thatched roof which was destroyed in the cyclone in December 2016. In order to replace the roof, she took a loan from the bank and pays 1000 rupees ($20.00) per month on the loan which is half of what she makes per month as a house maid for 2 families where she works 6 hours per day (3 in the morning and 3 in the evening.) Grandmother lives with them and another daughter.

They are so happy as they don’t know any different but what they do know is that their lives have just been so graciously enriched because the the SCAW donors. We promised to come back and see them next year to see how they have been able to use their new items.

Theresa Carravetta for Team Chennai 2018

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Chennai: A Story of Renewal and Hope.

During one of the distributions we had the honour of meeting a woman who brought 50 children from a rural area to receive their bedkits. Dr. Supraja Dharini not only helps these children by transporting them to and from the distribution but she also helps animals in need.

The team all agreed to travel an extra 6 hours after the plane ride back from the Karur distribution to meet 3 very special elephants in an Elephant Care Facility. They had been captive in a temple, chained by the foot for 23 hours a day. 

They suffered massive abscesses, foot problems and depression. Dr. Supraja Dharini, a friend of our Rotary, just happened to be at the temple. Thus, began the long process of releasing them into the freedom of a new space.

Our team first met the 3 elephant girls in a palm jungle!! We fed them special treats and got to know each other. We walked amongst them along a path, where they were scooping up leaves from the trees with their massive trunks. They are such beautiful gentle giants. They mesmerized us! As Supraja was preparing their food, the three of them rumbled with delight and charged into the feeding area, surprising me.

We were able to feed them bananas and homemade super large brownies. Actually, they were delicious steamed food squares – I ate some! What an amazing 4 sets of teeth they have.

The doctor has devoted so much of her time, love and finances for these elephants. They need special care every day to heal their abscesses and abused feet and bodies, but it’s working. They are so happy and love to be stroked and spoken to.


The doctor has plans to build a Biodiversity Education Centre on their newly purchased larger property. Children will be able to come and visit and learn to experience first hand the value and richness of nature in all living things. Presently she invites classes to visit the elephants and each bring a handful of feed. Every little bit helps!

As we left the Facility, a flock of magnificent peacocks bid us farewell across from the orange sun setting over the Bay of Bengal.

Click here to watch a video and visit their website: www.elefriends101.org to know more about the elephants and the care facility that we had the opportunity to visit.

Kay Mountford for Chennai SCAW Team 2018
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Chennai: Factory Visits

After our distribution of 500 children at Karur a new location for SCAW, we visited the factory where the mosquito nets are made.

The Rotarians at Karur went out of their way to be sure the team and the children were comfortable setting up in the shade or under colourful canopies.

We were able to once again show everyone the contents of the bedkits which resulted in lots of great smiles during the pictures.

The factory visit was to a small cottage industry who makes the mosquito nets. This area was the final stage where the panels are sewn together by women working in cramped quarters for 8 hours a day. From there we went to the next area that weaves the plastic fabric from the fibre into the finished panel which then goes to the ladies who sew the panels together.

I was so impressed with the quality of the product considering the limited size of the working space.

John O’Donnell for Team Chennai 2018

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Chennai: Madurai

Yesterday was a travel day where we flew on a one hour flight to Madurai. There we were guests at the Rotary 3000 District Conference which was attended by over 2000 Rotary delegates from the surrounding areas. All delegates were treated to a 6 minute video presentation showcasing the creation of SCAW and its founder - Murray Dryden along with a introduction of this years team.

Today we had a distribution of 450 children in Madurai. Once again the needy children came from surrounding communities to receive their bedkits. We had the chance to demonstrate the contents of the bedkit to the children who were waiting before starting the process. They were thrilled to actually see and understand what was in the bedkit.

These children brighten our days more than they know.

John O’Donnell for Team Chennai 2018

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Chennai: Day 3!

After a long day of traveling our 4th destination for distribution was Nellore.
We were invited with other Rotarians to a dinner hosted by “Reddy” and his wife.

Reddy is a successful business man and humanitarian. His contributions include a school for gifted children, a hospital, and a mobile health unit. He has built a large convention centre which employs many locals.  His organization and planning skills were evident with how smoothly this distribution went.

Our distribution of just over 600 bedkits included children that came by bus, some as far away as 80km, which on Indian roads, can take as much as two hours to travel.

We finished the day with a tour of the school and the hospital and left knowing many children would be sleeping well.

Brenda and Mike for Team Chennai 2018
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Kolkata: It's A Wrap!!

It's a wrap! 6000 bedkits have been given out to children of Kolkata and surrounding areas!  We have had a fabulous time, enjoying the children and meeting wonderful hosts and volunters at each site!

We also have had a fantastic team! Thanks to Judy for guiding us, Jill for assisting, Judy and downloading photos, Helga for her endless energy, Cathy for her humour and her snaps, Donna for leading the children in chants, Ranjan and Rowly for their endless support in so many ways, and Deb for her blogs ...

A huge thank you to our overseas partner The Rotary Club of Dum Dum! You are all gracious hosts and welcomed us so warmly ...you have become extended family and it will be difficult to say our goodbyes...

Signing off from Kolkata India,
Team Kolkata 2018
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Chennai: Rishi Valley

After yesterday’s distribution in Vellore, we travelled about 6 hours to Rishi Valley.  The drive was slow as there seems to be traffic at all hours of the day in India. However, the long drive was totally worth it.

We arrived at Rishi Valley in the dark so I could not see much of the surroundings but I could feel the difference.  We emerged from the van to cool, fresh air and quiet.  A quiet we had not yet experienced in India.  We could no longer hear the horns and engines of the constant traffic that had accompanied us everywhere else.

When the sun rose in the morning we had the pleasure of seeing our surroundings.  We had spent the night in a building meant for the visiting parents of students at a boarding school.  The school, Rishi Valley School, is situated on 300 acres in a rural area, and it is a simple and beautiful campus.

We started our day with breakfast in the main cafeteria for the school.  For the senior students it was an examination day, however before their examinations they were having some fun at breakfast.  We arrived at the cafeteria building to see the students dressed up in costumes.  Cat in the Hat with Thing 1 and Thing 2, Alice in Wonderland, Star Trek’s Spock, and the entire main cast of Star Wars.  They paraded into the cafeteria full of smiles and applause.

After a cheerful breakfast we went to the site of the distribution, a field at the school.  The Rotarians had set up beautiful tents to provide shade for the volunteers and the children.  The sun was hot but the shade from the tents and the breeze made it quite pleasant.  Of course, the weather is completely secondary when you see the smiles of the children.

I was asked to hand the bedkits to the children at this distribution. The bedkits themselves are larger than many of the children who receive them.  Fortunately, we had many older students from the school there to help the children carry their kits.  Most of these children, however, did not need help.  

A few of the first children I met hoisted the bedkits onto their heads and walked off like they were wearing nothing more than a hat on their heads.  Just one more thing that brought a smile from my heart to my face.

  

By the time the children reach the end of the process, where they receive the bedkit, many are overwhelmed, confused, maybe even a little scared.  They realize that we do not understand their language and very few understand English.  They are told to say “thank you.”  A few of them even said to me, “say thank you.” And so I tried, without holding up the line, to connect with each child by looking deep into their eyes and letting love shine up from my heart and out through my smile.  Most of them understood this and responded with the biggest smile; a smile that shouted their gratitude.

I can only hope that these bedkits make as much of a difference in their lives as they have made in mine.

Team Chennai 2018
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