Honduras 2019: A chance to see our impact

Today we had the opportunity to visit four homes where the bedkits were received last year.
It was heartbreaking to see how these families lived. Nevertheless, we were greeted by warmhearted and thankful people.

This school was a distribution site. Many of the children have to be bussed to the site from remote areas. It could be up to a 3½-hour bus ride to get there for some of the children. Old buses from Canada have made their way to Tagucigalpa, the capital city where we are staying.

The crowding in some of the homes was horrendous. One home had 14 people living in a 2-room house. Their small kitchen was outside. While we were there, we observed one of the daughters cooking chicken over a wood-fired stove. This family had a rabbit, a dog and an avocado tree.

We saw a corrugated home that used cardboard to divide up the few rooms.

At one home we visited, the family had to roll up the bedkit every morning in order to have room on the floor.

One of the single mothers worked cleaning the school and taking in laundry. We saw laundry hanging everywhere in all the homes. Of course, it was all done by hand.

Dengue fever is a problem here and I only saw a few mosquito nets, which were probably obtained from the bedkits. Because the windows were covered only by curtains or a metal grill, the mosquitos had easy access.

I found the pride demonstrated by these families to be very impressive. For instance, school pictures of their children were proudly displayed on the walls. 

The older children helped with the younger ones and everyone was wearing clean clothes.

This little guy was the receiver of a bedkit. He was one of the 14 who lived in this small space.

Carol Maranda
Team Honduras 2019

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Honduras 2019: Another day of smiles

Day 6 of distribution saw our team on the road again at 6:45 am. We travelled for about an hour and a half from the hotel to the distribution site in Lejamani.

As we approached the school, it was an amazing sight to see hundreds of happy, smiling children eager to receive their backpacks and bedkits.

Members of the Rotary and Rotaract clubs helped us set up and provided assistance in organizing the children, to ensure that the correct children received their bedkits.

After set-up was completed, the children were put in groups of one to ten to have their pictures taken. They then received their backpacks and bedkits, as well as the drinks and treats provided by the power corporation.

As always, it was an amazing sight to see the excitement in the children after they received their bedkits and exited the school grounds to meet their waiting parents.

Connie Beaton

Team Honduras 2019

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Honduras 2019: Day 5 of distribution

Today we were again on our way at 6:45 for another adventure. Once again, along the road families were greeting and thanking us, and we received spontaneous hugs from the children. The school where today's distribution took place was built by the parents in the village, which demonstrates how important education is to them.

When we first arrived, we set about working on stringing the backpacks and moving them and the bedkits to the best spots to distribute them.

The distribution process worked like this:

• First, the children received a t-shirt and shorts. 
• Next, they had their pictures taken. If a donor had bought ten bedkits, a group of ten children would be photographed together for the donor’s photo.
• The next stop was exciting, because each child received a backpack filled with school supplies and books.
• Now for the important part: a bedkit with everything they would need for a good night's sleep, including a mosquito net.
• Before leaving, each child was given healthy snacks and a drink box to add to their backpack.

Now, happily carrying their new possessions, the children made their way to the gate, which was guarded, to meet up with their moms or dads.

When all was over, we walked back to the van through the now almost-empty streets with a lot of wonderful memories.

Sleep well

Simon Maranda 
Team Honduras 2019

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Honduras 2019: Excited and gracious children

Today we were on the road by 6:45, heading to our next distribution site in the country.
After turning up a steep, rough road leading up to the school, our van was surrounded by excited families waving to us with big smiles on their faces. So many people!

When we exited the van we were greeted with lots of hugs.

This distribution went exceptionally well. The help from the Honduran volunteers made a big difference.

The children were wonderful. I was impressed by how caring they were of each other, especially with any of their friends who were disadvantaged in some way. Many of the older kids had learned to say a few words in English, including “thank you”.

When we were finished the distribution, the once-crowded school looked deserted.

This little boy couldn’t wait.

Carol Maranda

Team Honduras 2019

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Honduras 2019: A Special Gift

Today found us distributing another 600 bedkits in a small community on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa.

It was an especially difficult but meaningful day for me, as I got to photograph and interview 14 beautiful children who received bedkits in memory of a sweetheart of a girl named Olivia. She loved children and supported Sleeping Children. Her parents donated the bedkits in memory of her.

After telling them Olivia's story via a translator, I asked them a series of questions. The last question I asked the children (all 6 and 7 years old) was, is there anything you would like to say to Olivia's parents? Here are some of their responses:

“she was beautiful”

“she was very pretty”

“I would have liked to play with her”

“tell them we will say a prayer for her”

Thankfully, I was not needed out in the open to help with the distribution. I volunteered myself to go help move bedkits where I was alone and had time to gather myself.

Sweet dreams, children

Clarence Deyoung

Team Honduras 2019

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Team Honduras: Day 2 of distribution

Day 2 had our Team on the road at 6:30 am, as our distribution site was outside the capital city of Tegucigalpa, in the Amarateca Valley. Here, the farmers grow onions, corn, guava and mangoes.

Our first task upon arrival was threading straps for the 600 children’s backpacks! Luckily, we had the help of our wonderful Rotaracts!

The Rotaracts are part of our overseas partners, the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa.

The school we were at today was built with the assistance of a Honduran benefactor and the government. There have been additions over the years, as the original building was destroyed by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. When we arrived, one of the classrooms was full of the mattresses waiting for our distribution. 

At the end of the day, another 600 Honduran children went home with smiles on their faces and their arms full of their new bedkits.

Thank you to our generous donors!

Joy Squire-Smith

Team Honduras 2019


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Honduras 2019: A joyous beginning

Today was our first day getting to meet the kids – all 600 bubbly, giggly, excited little girls and boys who bounced their way into the schoolyard where we were working. They charmed us with their smiles and their manners, their thank-yous and hugs. At every step our Canadian and Honduras teams mirrored the joy on the faces of the kids.

It was great to look around the schoolyard and see the adults high-fiving the kids, playing puppets with them, talking and smiling, and just having a great day all together. And it was even better seeing the smiles on each of the kids’ faces as the backpack was put on their back, and they carried their cozy new mattress out the school gates to their family waiting outside.

It really was "teamwork makes the dream work" in action! We are looking forward to traveling outside the city tomorrow and meeting another 600 terrific kids! 

Debbie Will-Dryden
Team Honduras 2019

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Team Honduras 2019: Ready and eager to go!

The team for the Honduras distribution was together for the first time this morning after travelling from areas right across the country.  

With no time to waste, we were off to meet with our Rotary and Rotaract partners. There was a thorough discussion of the upcoming distribution and we were able to see the wonderful bedkit the children will be receiving. We were then treated to a delicious lunch at the home of one of our Rotary partners.

In the evening, we reviewed each role for the distribution and did a mock set-up of a bedkit for the pictures.

We're all excited and ready to go for our first day tomorrow!

Susan Simpson
Team Honduras 2019

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Honduras 2019 -- Post your comments here:

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Tanzania: Signing Off!!

Our work here is finished and we leave Tanzania with cherished memories that will last a lifetime.

We would not have been able to enrich the lives of 7500 children without coming together as a united, strong team. 

Thank you to everyone for your energy, your commitment and your love of children.

Asante sana,
Peggy Morrison - Team Leader for
Team Tanzania 2019
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Tanzania: Priceless!

Every parent wants the best for their child. At the SCAW distributions, a parent/guardian is required to attend in order to understand the purpose of the program, to learn about the research connected to our promotion of a good night's sleep, and to assist with the transportation of the bedkit home. 

When we first meet the parents, they are somewhat reserved, yet very polite, and perhaps a bit suspicious (too good to be true, perhaps?!)

Our SCAW partners, and our team leader, Peggy, explain our purpose and intent to the moms and dads, grandparents and guardians:

Then, the realization that their child, and their family, is about to receive a useful and practical gift that promotes a healthy sleep sets in...and we are so fortunate to be hanging around to be able see the true joy in the faces of these most appreciative parents and guardians:
  

The absolute best, though, is watching it all sink it on a child's face...

Quite the impact for $35.00CDN.  Priceless, actually!

Irene S. for 
Team Tanzania 2019
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Tanzania: A Tanzania Classroom!

What does a Tanzanian classroom look like? 

Being a teacher myself in Canada, I was interested in learning about this. I figured this was a simple enough question but soon learned the answer is not. 

After visiting 7 different school sites, I soon came to realize that there is no "typical classroom."  The learning can be in a class with desks and chairs.... like Canada, or it can take place in a classroom sitting on the floor as there are very few desks. 

In some schools, there aren't enough classrooms, so they teaching takes place outside!

The biggest surprise to me about the Tanzanian classroom is the number of students. Chatting with the teachers, I was told that some classes have over 50 students! I was shocked until other teachers told me of 100+ students in one room. I started to think that this might be a language problem - a miscommunication - until I saw a class with 200 students.... not just one classroom but an entire school with every classroom filled with wall to wall students. 

God bless these teachers!!!!!

Allison M. for
Team Tanzania 2019
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Tanzania: Conversations!!

As a SCAW group of travelling volunteers there are a number of activities we do beyond distributing the bedkits to the children. There are home visits to meet prior year recipients, reviews of financial records of our volunteer partners, writing these blogs, checking and re-checking the photos to make sure they are complete and accurate, etc.

One other activity that each of us gets to do is to engage in “conversations” with parents, guardians, and/or teachers of the current year’s children. Today was my day for these conversations. Some guideline questions are as follows:

Normally the conversation will go down a path where the adult is most comfortable, and not all questions will get addressed, but we usually get some very good and thoughtful insight into how our efforts will likely impact the home life of the children.

The conversations are facilitated by one of our local partner representatives, who help with translation, and who also benefit from the feedback that we receive. Mama’s son, Benjamin, has been helping us with our conversations throughout this distribution. 

My two conversations today were both with single mothers who each have 4 children at home. In both homes there are at least two people sharing each bed/mat, and a good night’s sleep is a challenge because of the cold and cramped conditions.

In reviewing the various responses received by team members during their conversations, there are some consistent themes that arise:

• all are extremely grateful for the bedkits and indicate that it will definitely improve their living conditions and the children’s school opportunity for learning.
• school supplies are expensive and many children go without.
• the water bottles are a big hit (thanks, Raymond James!).
• most parents are reluctant to “rank” the items in the bedkit. Our sense is that everything is cherished and they don’t want us to think some things are not valued.

My biggest takeaway from these conversations is that, if we think the children are excited with their new possessions, the parents are ecstatic!!!

Signing off on Day 8,
James C. for
Team Tanzania 2019
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Tanzania: Flag Day!

We arrived today just in time to witness the raising of the Tanzanian flag. 

At several of the schools we have watched the children sing their national anthem, and other songs like “Tanzania, Tanzania” accompanied by students playing the drums. 
 
 

This morning morning we had about 20 boys helping unload the backpacks and tie up the mattresses up for distribution. 

John attached Canadian flag pins on the boys’ lapels.  They were so excited! 
 

Allison hung our Canadian flag at one of the distribution stations. 

Louise and John for
Team Tanzania 2019
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