Chennai: Puducherry

For those of you who have seen The movie the Life of Pi, the movie was filmed on the Bengal Bay by Puducherry (Pondicherry). Puducherry is on the south west side of India. Congratulations to our “Puducherrian” Rotarian for successfully hosting the very first SCAW distribution in this area today. The children were very appreciative.

There was a new first for me too. All 500 bed kits had to be moved from their storage at the back of the meeting hall to the outside parking lot. A human chain moved that mountain of bedkits first before we could even hand them out to the children. 

There was great excitement when the “Minister” of the area came in support of the project. His political status gave a huge boost to our project for the children under his watchful eye.

 Many highschool girls Red Cross Junior Helpers, had the opportunity to help too. Our team  monitored each station as they honoured their duties perfectly. 

Thank you Rotary Club of Puducherry for joining the SCAW family of distribution sites. Your efforts are well appreciated by the children in your neighbourhood.

Marg for Team Chennai 2016

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Kolkata: Purulia

Today's distribution highlighted how needy the children are in this area.  Many arrived in bare feet, but welcomed the food and drinking water that was supplied by the Rotarians in Purulia.

After their lunch, the children washed their feet and put on their new shoes from the bedkit.  It actually became hot for the first time since we arrived and the children were able to remove their fleece jackets and we were able to see all the colourful dresses and smart shirts that they were wearing.

Some of these children had been up very early to get to us on time.  One little boy told us that he had walked 2 kilometers to school to get on a bus (with his class mates and teacher) to travel the 70 kilometers to our distribution.  He then would have to repeat that to get home!

Team Kolkata 2016
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Chennai: Kilpauk

Today is Republic Day in India, a holiday to recognize the day that India's Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950.  For our SCAW team it meant a quieter day driving to our distribution site at Kilpauk.

The children were already dressed in their new clothes and eagerly awaited our arrival at the high school.  Many parents were also present.  We spent some time showing the children what would be in their bundled-up bedkit.  So many giggles from the kids as item after item was comically displayed by our leader asleep under the covers and the mosquito net!  

We gave out 528 bedkits and the big grins and sparkling eyes of the children surely indicated every child's thrill to hold onto their very own bedkit  filled with so many new treasures.  Although most of the children do not speak much English, they are eager to practice "Thank you" or "Thanks".  On receiving her bedkit today, one eight year old child looked at me so sincerely and said very quickly, "Thank you, you're welcome, how are you, you're cute!"  We both got the giggles and shared a special moment before she proudly left for home.

Mid afternoon we left Chennai for a three hour trip to  Puducherry, located further south on the east coast of India.  Along with our hardworking Rotary Club hosts, we will be doing a distribution there tomorrow.  

Patti Jones for Team Chennai 2016

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Kolkata: Sonamukhi

Today was great. The venue was perfectly prepared and the children were organized and very cheerful. We set up in 20 minutes and our Rotarian partners had many children fed, dressed and waiting in line. Without volunteers we would not be able to handle the volume of kids. We finished up in 4 hours and celebrated with a mini banquet provided by the local Rotarians with all the volunteers of the day. We are on the road again.

Team Kolkata 2016

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Chennai: Tiruvallur

Our SCAW team got to sleep in today!  Up and on the road for 6:30am so we could get ahead of the chaotic Chennai traffic and on our way to Tiruvallur which is about an hour and a half from our hotel.  We had breakfast en route with some of our Rotary partners and learned the traditional Indian way to cool our hot tea. 

On arrival at the local high school in Tiruvallur,  we were greeted with garlands and warm welcomes.  We set up for the bedkit distribution in the school's courtyard.  It began to rain so we moved everything in doors and got underway with lots of smiling, happy kids. 

The rain stopped so we moved outdoors again and carried on giving out more bedkits to more happy kids. 

Throughout all of this, we were very fortunate to have the enthusiastic assistance of numerous students from the high school.

Just imagine 581 smiling kids with bedkits heading home today -- that's the joy of SCAW!

Patti and Dennis for Team Chennai 2016
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Belgaum: On Our Way!

Our journey to India has begun and we’re sitting at YVR waiting to board the big plane. We had a great conversation with the cab driver, Raju, who happens to be from Punjab, India, and I think that Kate may have recruited him as a future SCAW volunteer. He was very excited at the possibility. His fluency in Hindi would be a huge benefit on a distribution I would think because my two words, namaste and challo, won't get me too far.

Now boarding!!!

Team Belgaum 2016 

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Kolkata: Distribution 5 - Durgapur

The SCAW team had one whole moment of rest while this photo was taken, before our distribution started.  For a moment, we were clean, neat and tidy.  It sure didn't last for long...!

Team Kolkata 2016
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Chennai: Nellore!

An early morning start (6;00 and still dark). As we drive north just inland from the Bay of Bengal, the fog and mist are just starting to burn off to reveal the lush green rice paddies and bamboo plantations. After a great breakfast with our Rotarian hosts, we get down to work (it’s not really work, it’s fun).

We are greeted by our local volunteers, the students from the school we are using, to help us. The children who have been selected for the bedkits are arriving from the needier areas and lining up for the process- sizing, posing, photographing, and receiving their bedkits. With a king sized smile they carry their treasure to their parents and they sit down together for lunch. After lunch, under the watchful eyes of  the Guardians of The Gate (AKA the sacred cows), they pack themselves and their gear into their vehicles and head for home. They will sleep well tonight!   

Wayne Cooper for Team Chennai 

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Kolkata: Distribution 4 - Kamarhati

Namaskar:

We had a great day!  571 very happy children received their bedkits.  It was a glorious, cloudless, warm day and the Rotarians in this club were ultra efficient and very mindful about providing food and drinks for the children and their parents while they were waiting.

Don was doing the interviews with the parents, finding out what they thought about the gift they received.  They were all overwhelmed.  All the families were exceedingly poor and most slept on the dirt floor in their homes. The donation of the mattress and blanket would make a huge difference as they have no heat in their homes, and the temperature at this time is very cold, for them.

We are off to bed early tonight as we will be leaving the hotel at 6.30 on a 3-day road trip to the west of Kolkata tomorrow.

Shuberateri  (Goodnight)

Team Kolkata 2016
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