 Team Reports |
Similar but DifferentSarah Boye — Toronto, ON
As I boarded the flight to Mumbai a few weeks ago, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. It had not yet been two years since my first SCAW trip to Kenya and I was anticipating what I would experience with a new team, a new environment, and new Rotary Club members. I was excited to embark on a new adventure but, at the same time, I was nervous that it would not live up to my amazing experience in Kenya. We were a team of six very different people with very different backgrounds, but it only took us a few days to find out that we had a lot in common. We enjoy travel, adventure, helping others, and meeting new people. Doug, Vic, Lynette, Grace and Lisa have now become close friends who I know I will keep in touch with over the years. I am very lucky to have had the fortune of meeting each of them. India was amazing — a true testament to the diversity of humans. While similar to Kenya in many ways, India was unique in that the local people, Rotarians, children, and school teachers show such dedication to making their school and community a better place and it was truly inspiring. Each culture achieves its goals while building and focusing on the local customs and traditions. At distributions in Kenya, we would be greeted with some of the most beautiful singing I had ever heard, while in several of our India distributions we were greeted with song and dance typical of that region as well as traditional Hindi blessings. Very similar, but also very different.
My time in India was well-spent as we were able to distribute 4,000 bedkits to truly needy children. However, it also opened my eyes to a new culture and a new way of life. In the end, I suppose that the major similarity between my trip to Kenya and my time spent in India is that it has confirmed my desire to help those less fortunate and make a positive difference in this world – both at home and abroad. Thank you SCAW donors for allowing me to represent you on two amazing distributions. I am looking forward to many more to come. |
