Belgaum: Nipani!

Today began with a scooter ride on the back of Manju's (our driver's) scooter to the shopping area to visit the luggage store where Manju works.  Sue, Lorna and Irwin followed in a motorized rickshaw.  We also visited Raju's (Rotarian) jewelry store but the prices there defied any major purchases by the group.  Scooter ride home for Lorna, lunch and into the van to head north to Nipani.

What a different experience from the distribution in Athani.  Talk about organized. Tons of Rotary, Inner Wheel (women's equivalent to Rotary) and Rotractors (college age men) buzzing around the place getting things done.  I mean actually getting things done!.  We handed out 500 kits in about 3 hours, phenomenally faster than yesterday.

Sue conducted interviews today and one mother told her she works at a factory where she makes 60-80 Rupees /day rolling up to 1000 cigarette like things.  That's $1.60 / day when her production is at its best.  So many people struggling in this country as there are no social nets whatsoever,

Early start tomorrow for what will certainly be a long day as we have 2 distributions.

Namaste!

Team Belgaum 2015

Belgaum: Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentines Day from Team Belgaum!

We began our day with a 7:30 start...it was a 3 hour drive and the roadways were most interesting.  We passed countless tractors and oxen carrying loads of sugar cane.  Our driver Manganet is fearless!

Apron our arrival it took some time for set up but once we were in the system it all worked out well. The bed kits have many supplies and all great quality. The colour of the dresses stands out and all the children are so happy. The site also had some challenges with the local pigs coming in but that adds to ambience to the day. We had a lovely lunch/supper with the local tea and some of the crew from the Belgaum team.

We arrived home at 8:30pm...our drive back was exciting with the added danger of sundown.  It's always an adventure in India!

Sue Orr on behalf of Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: Friday the 13th!

Nothing untoward has happened to the team today. Friday the 13th has been a wonderful experience.

We started the morning by visiting 2 houses of recipients of bedkits last year. Both families graciously invited us in to see there homes and expressed gratitude for the kits. When asked what was the best item in last years kit they were hesitant to distinguish one item over another as all items were important but the backpack seemed to get some special recognition perhaps for the additional school supplies it contained. The first homes were extremely dark - the only light entering through the front and back doors. The home contained four families housed in a row of four rooms. We were visiting the front unit which also contained the communal kitchen. The recipient from last year saw our need for light and went to a back room and brought a bright LED flashlight which then gave us a much better view of his home. The kitchen seemed to have good collection of stainless steel eating and cooking utensils and a 2 burner gas burner. The floor is compacted dirt. Life was sparse but they seemed very happy with their situation and very proud of their children.

Moving to the next house I was struck by the contrast created by the microwave cell tower just beyond the home we were visiting. Still very dark but electricity was available as was cable TV. We saw no evidence of either in the home.

From these houses we drove back into Belgaum to visit a knitting works which produces School Uniforms for the bed kits. We were greeted as VIP’s and presented with roses upon arrival. It was very interesting seeing the mechanized looms compared to the hand loom. Bill was telling us that they have modernized much of there production during the last few years and now only have one hand loom working where a couple of years ago they had 6. Workers also seem to have a much better working period from 9:30 to 6 with an hour for lunch.

Then we were off to the tailor shop where much of the other clothing for the children was produced by six sewing machine operators. Again the VIP treatment roses and drinks during our stay and a good showing of the materials being presented to the children.

We arrived back at the Hotel had a late lunch and prepared for the pre distribution meeting.

The predistribution meeting went very well. We met the Rotarians of the SCAW trust and went over the distribution procedures, locations and material. we followed this with great food and conversation. They are truly a wonderful group who work extremely hard to see that all goes smoothly. It now approaching midnight and we have to be ready for a distribution tomorrow at 7:30 so I will sign off

Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: Rotary Pool Visit

This evening the team went to visit The Belgaum Swimmers Club which practices out of a pool the Belgaum Rotary supports. The city run pool was about to close when the Rotary stepped in to support the program  The team coach introduced us to a number of the Clubs decorated athletes. The club has produced a number of champions at the international level, as well it has trained a swimmer who completed a swim across The English Channel.

They also have an amazing program for blind children. One of the girls from that program, totally blind, jumped off the high diving board for us. The program is hugely successful.  The Rotary Club even provides transportation for swimmers and evening practice is followed by dinner for everyone.  Amazing work!!

Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: Leaving Mumbai

Today we left Mumbai.  We will have many memories of that city.  Such a mixture of beautiful and ugly and bad.

The good, most of the people we met were friendly, polite and happy.  The city is colourful with the beautiful array of colour of their saris.  It is good with the patience and driving skills of many taxis, motorized rickshaws and cars that abound in the downtown. Sometimes 4-5 cars driving along in a 2-3 lane road weaving in and out of the traffic, passing other cars with just 1" to,spare, but in 3 days travelling around the area we saw no accidents .  The business of the streets; hundreds of people bustling around, crossing the roads at their own parrel, darting between cars, rickshaws, push carts, wagons, and buses.

The bad is the numbers of beggars on the street and the large slum area throughout the city among the new high rises.  We are told the city is working on programs for youth employment programs. Many of them are working under poor employment conditions, living in large dormitories.

There is the beautiful history side of Mumbai with many old temples, shrines, caves from 1000 years ago with statues that are still colourful. These caves were built by hand and we wonder how it could be done.  Even today with our sophisticated diggers and equipment it would be a challenge .

We found a quiet temple pool in the city where people bath to wash their sins away while quietly people pray and partake of religious ceremonies on the stairs around the pool. Just so many memories.

Today is Thursday and we leave for Belgaum.  I had a little hitch with my visa which took some time to correct but all worked out.  We left on time and even arrived early, met by our Rotary Partners, Dillip and Sandjay for a ride to the hotel. We are away from the bustling city and with quiet green farmlands, with cows going down the centre of the street.  Today is a day off, we will visit a newly renovated Rotary pool, have dinner and relax tonight.

Lorna Hedger for Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: Mumbai Tour

Amin, our tour guide and former bedkit recipient, took us on a whirlwind tour of Mumbai.  We visited the house where Ghandi lived, a market which included fruits, vegetables, birds and kitchen gadgets.  We had a vegetarian lunch, went to the Victoria Train Station, a cloth market, a large open area where laundry is done, stopped at a camera shop and a shop that sold pashminas.

Walking through these places and crossing the busy streets was incredibly exciting.  The train station was so noisy one couldn't hear the trains because of people talking and yet in the middle of all of this confusion, two women sat on the floor facing each other chatting!  The people who work in the markets selling, live and sleep right there.  We spotted a man sleeping in one of his large baskets.  The vegetarian restaurant where we ate lunch employs 180 people.  They have many staffrooms where 20 or more of the workers sleep each night.  These workers send their earnings back home to their villages.  The streets are crammed 4 cars wide then further stuffed with motorized rickshaws.  We lost Sue at one point as we were crossing a street because she hesitated for a split second about stepping forward into traffic.  She yelled to get our attention but couldn't be heard over the sound of the horns.  Amin nicknamed himself "Coffee With Milk" because at each crossing he'd grab Lorna's hand to get her across with our pack.

Tomorrow we're flying to Belgaum.

Pam Horricks for Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: Touring Kanheri Caves with Amin

We had a good day touring with Amin Sheikh today, a long time friend of SCAW and previous bedkit recipient, even with the 33*C heat and humidity. He took us up to the Kanheri Caves National Park north of the city to see the 1,100 year old Buddhist caves. This time, we walked way up the hills to the highest level of caves and then he showed us where the Tibetan Monks still come to worship up there. There were a lot of their prayer flags tied to the trees and two large rectangular basins carved out the rock where they could immerse themselves during the rainy season. He then took us to a roadside vegetarian restaurant for lunch where we sampled various types of the local dishes and ate with our hands. It was quite the experience, especially when a truck drove through the restaurant while we were eating. The restaurant is hosting a large wedding and reception this evening, so the truck had brought a lot of the things to set up for it. 

We then went to Snehasadan orphanage that Amin belonged to when he was young. We were given a tour of House #7 and met some of the current orphans, including one young boy who is a promising soccer star. They showed us where they cooked, ate, showered and slept. They all sleep on mats on the floor in one big room, but are thankful for that. We also met the new headmaster of Snehasadan, Father Noel, a young Jesuit priest, who took time to welcome us there.

Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: The Team has Arrived!

The rest of the members of Belgaum Travelling Team have arrived safely in India. While they were flying over, the advanced party had a good day today touring the southern area of Mumbai. 

To start the day, the staff the HMATC restaurant recognized Bill from last year and gave us great table service. The locals who were eating there were wondering why we were getting the special treatment.

We went to the Gates of India to catch a ferry to Elephanta Island. A young Indian man approached us at the ticket selling area for Elephanta Island to tell us that the Caves were closed on Mondays. He wanted to sell us tickets for the boat ride to and from the island, but since the caves were closed, he took us on a tour of the Gates of India and then to the Taj Mahal Hotel to look around and do some shopping. The one jewelry store have an exquisite butterfly broach made by hand with rubies, emeralds, diamond chips and other stones. It was tempting but we passed on it.

We then went 'shopping' through the sidewalk vendors. They all had ''deals' for us and wanted our business. We eventually made it to the Kala Gouda arts festival. It had some very unique artistic displays that they put a lot of thought into. By one oçlock we were starting to feel hungry so we ate at the Kyber Restaurant. We had a delicious assortment of various Indian foods and the atmosphere of the restaurant was special. It made for a good impression with the team.

This evening we met Neelesh and Judy Suchak, part of our SCAW Mumbai  Overseas' Volunteer Partners team welcomed us at the HMATC with some flowers and chocolates. It was good to see them again. They have not changed at all and are just as helpful as ever. Bill's looking forward to seeing them on the 25th when he returns to Mumbai.

Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum: The Team is on their Way

The Belgaum Travelling Team has departed Toronto enroute to Mumbai. Bill, Irwin, Lorna and Pamela will be followed there shortly by Sue and Cathy. The warm temperatures of India will be a welcome relief to the team after the snow that they experienced before leaving Toronto.

Team Belgaum 2015
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Belgaum 2015: Post Your Comments Here

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Chennai: The Rotarians’ Celebration

The Rotary Club of Chennai had a lot to be proud of today. We distributed the 100, 000^th bed kit for them.  What a moment and what an experience! This club has been an active participant with SCAW for 29 years. Not only did they celebrate the one hundred thousandth bed kit but they also began counting again with the next child.  Photos were taken and new T-shirts distributed to all the Rotarians and our SCAW team.  The young girls who received the kits beamed broad smiles as their photos were taken alone and with their families and the Rotarians.  The whole day was one to which we were glad to be a part.

Team Chennai 2015

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Chennai: Remembering Murray Dryden

February 1 we did a distribution at a large school in Tiruvallur.   As we gathered, Ravi, the head of SCAW for the Chennai distribution, shared that Murray Dryden died 11 years ago on that day. Ravi requested a minute of silence to remember and honour Murray for his commitment to needy children in the world. In that moment, Ravi also spoke with gratitude for SCAW’S connection to India. Having Judy Dryden with us made the silence more poignant. Our hearts softened as tears silently slipped down her face. The last greatest act of love is to grieve our losses. Murray is remembered and held in a place of love and admiration.

Murray Dryden

As the Rotarians, SCAW team, and the multitude of volunteers bowed their heads in respect, a solitary bird sang a melody in tune with the background hum of traffic drifting over the school's wall.  Excited children's voices trickled in. Murray had a vision so many years ago.  A vision carried forward by his family and volunteers. He would have been so proud to know that, this year, the 100,000th Chennai bedkit is to be delivered in Ambattur this week.  Over 1,000,000 children sleep better.  Over 1,000,000 children have received an otherwise unattainable gift.  Over 1,000,000 children have experienced hope for a new, exciting day. All because one man had a vision.

Donna Chantler for Team Chennai

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Chennai: Factory Visits

During our travel day to Yercaud we had many fascinating opportunities to visit some of the factories that produce the items for our bed kits.  We saw mosquito nets, mattresses, T-shirts and ground covers being made.  The owners of the factories proudly showed us around and gave us food (mostly bananas) and drink (water and pop). These factories were small and efficient. There were no conveyor belts but they all had their specialty and they work quickly, passing the work down the table to the next person in the chain. (Do you ever wonder what became of your old sewing machine?  We think we saw a few of them here and you will be pleased to know the machines are running very well to this day.)

The Indian people do not smile during photos but they certainly grin broadly when shown the results on a camera.  In lieu of more words here are some photos of the factories that we visited.

Team Chennai 2015

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Chennai: Hope

You may have noticed that there has been no blog for a few days. Sorry, but we have been too busy riding elephants, visiting spice plantations and travelling from one location to another.  Consequently we have returned too late at night to create a blog. So the following blog for today was written en route and is being added now that we have settled in again.

Hope

The SCAW bed kit gives each child articles, such as exercise books, pencils and a back pack, that will support them in school and hopefully to stay in school. The clothes help them to feel better about themselves. With the blanket, sheets, quilted pad and ground cover, the SCAW bedkit encourages a good night sleep so that each child can embrace the day and make it the best it can be. The bedkit provides a towel, nail clippers and bedding to encourage cleanliness, respect for the body and quality sleep.

But the biggest gift of the bed kit is the hope you see in the child’s eyes when he or she receives it. That is the magic of the bed kit. It gives each child the ability to dream of a better tomorrow. In Theni we delivered 409 bed kits and thanks to your donations the children had hope in their eyes and bigger dreams. 

Team Chennai 2015
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Kolkata: It's a Wrap!

We delivered our last bedkit Thursday morning.  The little boy had waited patiently, finally receiving his gift, joined by his mother, to officially end the distribution.

Many had already left the neighbourhood site, some walking

Some on bike,

Some in a tuk tuk

It was a happy day for them

We were honoured guests at a final banquet, at which Rotarians and their families joined to bid us farewell. It has been a special distribution for them as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of their club and their 17th SCAW distribution. We return to Canada, embraced by the warmth of their kind hospitality and overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of work they do to make each year's distribution so efficient and successful.

We leave, leaving a little bit of ourselves in spirit and friendship in Kolkata, but take with us many treasured memories that will last forever.

Team Kolkata 2015
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Kolkata: Krishnanagar

Each day brings a unique experience, a new destination, a wonderful gathering of Rotarians, volunteers and of course, hundreds of delightful children.  Some are sombre, needing much coaxing to bring forth a smile; others quite outgoing, anxious to practise their English.  All are in need and so deserving of the SCAW bedkit.

Today’s journey was a 6 hour round trip to Krishnanagar, reached by the only road that leads to Bangladesh and Assam.  Consequently, our skillful driver battled for space on the road with many cars, wagons, motorcycles and trucks.. 

Each distribution has much in common:

Entertaining the children, coaxing out those smiles

Helping set up the photo shoot

Sharing special moments

Accepting the sincere gratitude of bedkit recipients

Working with Rotarians who have become our friends

At day’s end we had brought smiles to 460 children in Krishnanagar.  Just once more chance to bring joy and comfort to children in our last distribution tomorrow.  Just one more chance to accept the wonderful hospitality of our hosts, members of the Rotary Club of Dum Dum.  Just one more day to collect some treasured moments. And one more day to see those beautiful smiles and happy children.

Irene Harrison for Team Kolkata 2015

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