SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: September 4

Our crack team of volunteers was on the road at 6:30 this morning, on our way to today's distribution at a school within the city. Our very capable driver, César, negotiated morning traffic on narrow streets to once again deliver us safely to our destination. 

When we arrived, many of today's 700 bedkit recipients and their teachers were already waiting for us in the covered courtyard. The sound of excitement and anticipation was wonderful for us to hear.

Our team got to work preparing for the flow of children through the various stations of the process. Team member Neil worked with some of the local volunteers to build a small set of steps to help the little ones get up to the area set up for photo taking. Another excellent example of team effort.

Once our process began, it moved smoothly and we completed the distribution of today's 700 bedkits. Very satisfying for us, and appreciated by the children. 

Before heading back to our hotel, we stopped in at the warehouse where the bedkit items are being stored and assembled into kits, just to do a final count before our last day of distributions tomorrow. All looks good!

Thanks to our generous donors, another 700 children will sleep a little better tonight.

Buenas noches!

Team Honduras, 2024

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: September 3

Fun fact: the Honduran flag 🇭🇳.

The two blue lines represent the two bodies of water (Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea). The white represents the land between the two bodies of water. The five stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟 represent the 5 Central American countries: Guatemala,🇬🇹 Costa Rica 🇨🇷, Nicaragua 🇳🇮, El Salvador 🇸🇻 and Honduras🇭🇳 

A mosaic made of stones

When arriving at a distribution site, we have to assess the best way to move the children through the area to receive their bedkit. We try to keep the route easy, with no obstacles.

Figuring out the logistics

At today's location we had to find a way to move the bedkits, which were stored on an upper level, to an area accessible for the children so they didn't have to climb stairs. 

Today's creative, innovative and fun way of moving the bedkits involved a few people tossing them from the second floor to the first.

Many volunteers formed a "conga line" that help move them to the endpoint so the children could collect their bedkit safely.

Sometimes we have to take a pause due to a backlog of children waiting to receive their bedkit. We entertained them by doing the Macarena as pictured below.

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Another way our team kept the children entertained during a pause is pictured below.

One of the Rotarians used his time in the Military to get the children to repeat some cadence drills. It was another successful distribution.

Team Honduras, 2024

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: September 2

“Teamwork makes the dream work “ is definitely an appropriate saying when referring to the results of the successful completion of a bedkit  distribution.

Rotary club and Rotaract members assist the SCAW Canadian team by translating phrases into Spanish that will be useful in directing the children on their way to receiving their bedkit.

Rotary, Rotaract & SCAW working together.

Parents and children taking their bedkits home.

Teachers and parents choose various modes of transportation such as a tuk-tuk taxi to travel to and from the bedkit distribution site.

Teachers returning home via tuk-tuk taxi after assisting at a bedkit distribution.

Team Honduras, 2024

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 31

The team and driver arrived at the school site at approximately 7:30 am. We were greeted with a traditional Honduran dance presented by 8 students.

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Today we had two exceptional cases where the SCAW and Rotary registered students had been hospitalized, unable to be present for their bedkit. Each parent provided a picture of the child, their registration was verified and we were grateful to honour the two children and their families with their bedkit.

Our hot and humid day concluded near 2:30 pm, after seeing almost 700 happy and satisfied faces.

Team Honduras 2024,

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦 

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 30

Today's distribution was at a school on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. We were welcomed with music by children's marching bands and a delightful performance of a traditional dance by some impressive young children. 

Niños durmiendo alrededor el mundo is Spanish for Sleeping Children Around the World. 

Rousing music by a marching band. They have been practicing for the Honduran Independence Day parades on September 15th.

Children in traditional dress danced in our honour while proud families and teachers looked on.

Like every distribution, children were brought in from a number of schools in the area.

Each distribution site is different, but the one thing that remains constant is the wonderful team effort involved. It is truly inspiring to see the dedication of everyone involved in bringing bedkits to deserving children each day. 

We are a team of six representing SCAW (with the support of a lot of people back in Canada), but a successful day like today requires dozens of people working together, both on site and behind the scenes. Fortunately, we have such a group.

Team members all pitch in to move bedkits to the area where they are handed out. 

On to Day 6 tomorrow! Sleep well.

Team Honduras, 2024

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 29

**Fun fact: the school year in Honduras 🇭🇳 is February to November. 

Another early morning start for the SCAW Team and our overseas partners, which also includes numerous volunteers (municipal workers, adult children and spouses of Rotary members, university students, etc.)

Ever wonder what it's like at the distribution sites in Honduras?

Once the children arrive they are checked in and assigned a number. From there they are given a white T-shirt (to be worn for the photo) and navy shorts.

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Then they are lined up in groups to get their picture taken. Once the photo is snapped, there's another check point and off they go to collect their bedkit.

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It was another successful distribution day!

Team Honduras 2024

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa  🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦 

SCAW Blog: Honduras 2024: August 28

The Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa contracted with their supplier to provide mattresses, pillows, bed sheets and pillowcases in various Disney & cartoon prints which the children really love.

We were treated to a performance by a musical instrumental band.

The teachers from the five schools included in today’s distribution were very helpful in ensuring that children were reunited with their parents or put on the correct bus for the return trip to their neighbourhood with their bedkits to take to their homes.

Team Honduras 2024

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 26

After many months of planning and countless hours of preparation, today we were able to meet and hand bedkits to the first 700 beautiful Honduran children who are beneficiaries of the generous donations of our donors. Our reward of a smile and a timid "gracias" is instant and lasting.

A lovely welcome to the location of our first distribution.

Our thoughtful Rotarian partners had tents set up to protect us and the children from the hot sun.

The children had also been preparing for this day. They treated us to a performance of a traditional dance and song, as well as a lovely speech of appreciation delivered by a nervous but determined young boy while his "abuela" proudly looked on. It was a moving moment.

Getting the children to smile for the camera.

Hmmm - she has a choice between a green backpack or a black one (she chose the black)

After a joyous day with the children, we were able to visit two of the warehouses where the bedkit items were stored and assembled into kits. It was impressive to see the vast piles of mattresses alone.

A mountain of mattresses, but by the end of next week, these will all be delivered!

We were informed that the assembly of the bedkits is done by local volunteers, including some parents and teachers of children who will be receiving a bedkit. Also of note is that one of the warehouse spaces is provided for free by a local church, and the other by the municipal government. It truly is a community effort.

Happy children leaving the schoolyard with their precious new belongings.

Much respect and thanks go to our Overseas Volunteer Partner in Honduras, the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa. Their hard work and dedication to the children makes all of this possible.

Wishing a good night's sleep to all children, everywhere."

Team Honduras, 2024-

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 27

Today I met with the Principal designate at the day 2 distribution site. This school site has a student population of 535. The Principal designate recognized how happy and grateful the children were to receive the bedkit gift.

The teachers understand the positive impact the bedkit will have on the students and their families. 

The Rotary Club of Welland provided toothbrushes, toothpaste and bandaids to the Principal for this school site. 

Traditional dance greeting

The Rotaractors are a tremendous help with the distribution. They are assisting at stations and with translation.

Full group photo

Looking forward to more smiling faces tomorrow. 

Team Honduras 2024

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Honduras, 2024: August 26

Hola from Honduras.

The SCAW team arrived on Saturday, August 24, 2024.  The Rotary Club from Tejucigalpa met us at the airport and managed to give us a tour of the site of our first distribution.

Our overseas partners have been very busy this past year getting ready for the distribution.  

When we leave in two weeks, 7,000 children will be getting a better night's sleep.

Team Honduras 2024

Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: Aug. 3

And so the 2024 Sri Lanka bedkit distribution has come to an end.

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7,000 children who shared their smiles with us, took home the gift so generously given by Sleeping Children donors. The Canadian and Sri Lankan teams will have many, many, memories of these past two weeks . . . children walking home with their bedkits; parent conversations out of the sun in the shade of a tree; that final 7,000th bedkit; and the hand waving thanks as a bus takes the children home.

To all the Rotarians, their wives, and countless volunteers, our heartfelt gratitude for all you have done, not only in the past two weeks, but for the many months leading up to Sri Lanka 2024. Oyata stutiyi, Nanri.

Team Sri Lanka 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: Aug. 2

DAY TEN CELEBRATION
How wonderful to see the children‘s excitement as they go through their backpacks. The notebooks and the school uniforms were certainly a hit.

We are proud to have completed successfully 7500 Bedkits for a grand total of 128, 500 over 24 years.
The sky is the limit for Sleeping Children and our partners in Tanzania-Upendo 🇹🇿 under the leadership of Mama Wandoa.

Lala Salama
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 31

SCHOOL BELLS ARE RINGING🔔

Back in 2019 a team member became very interested in the unique materials that the schools used for ringing their bells. Irene made a point of trying out every bell at each site.

Two Sleeping Children volunteers/teachers read her article in our Trip Newsletter and wanted to donate their handbells, which were given to them as retirement gifts, to two Tanzanian schools. We were happy to have Mama Wandoa present one to an appreciative principal and students.

During this year’s distribution it was fun to find, see and hear the bells being used at our schools.

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 31

Meet Khalfani

Khalfani has been our driver since we arrived in Tanzania July 20th and will continue to August 3rd.

He was born in Tanzania, is married and a father of six. Khalfani has a warm disposition.  He stays calm through the most chaotic journeys to our distribution sites. This is his first time driving for Upendo and Sleeping Children.

 He was a bit shy at first but has really opened up over the days with the help of our team member who speaks Swahili.  He has become an integral part of our team at the distribution sites, helping wherever he’s needed, especially when the children are lining up to have their pictures taken.

Lala Salama

Team Tanzania 2024

Upendo 🇹🇿+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 29

Our visit to the mattress factory was once again an eye opener. The host , Dhilip, was the owner and was extremely gracious and welcoming. 

 He took us on a tour of his facility which included 380 employees working in a plastics area and a mattress making area. 

 He has a 23 year relationship with the Tanzanian Overseas Partners which we value. 

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 28

LOVE!!

By: Nathan Kisaka (Age 17 - son of Benjamin, grandson of Mama Wandoa)

Today I’m going to talk about love, because I want all of you who are reading this to experience true love.

I thought it best to give you some insight into what I feel whenever I carry out my job during the distribution. If you do not already know, then you might become curious, by donating, or even coming to a distribution site, and you will see what true love is like.

My job is the backpack station and I help the children by putting the backpack on them before sending them to receive their mattresses. I call them over to me with words, or sign language, and I never forget to smile at them, I mean really beam at them. Some children may look at you confused, but when you smile at them, the majority will reciprocate your love.  It is a confusing day for them, and the children aren’t always the best at regulating their emotions, as I’m sure you parents out there know all too well. 

A lot of you may not realize this but these kids often see you as angels. They are thankful, ever so grateful for you.

I pick up a backpack and I talk to them in a soothing, gentle tone since they are only children. When I send them away I take one last glimpse at their eyes as now the child will go home and finally sleep well at night.

Lala Salama,
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 28

On our day off we wanted to learn more about the history and culture of Tanzania by exploring two museums, going to local arts co-operatives, listening to stories from our guide Tetula, attending church services (Catholic and Lutheran) and having some team fun by eating home made crisps at Coco Beach!

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We are back to work on Monday. We will have a guest from Zambia joining us as his charity might be interested in partnering with Sleeping Children.

Looking forward to seeing the children’s smiles again tomorrow.

Lala Salama.
Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 27

These pictures are a glimpse into the team's adventures during our Sri Lanka distribution.

A typical photo site

Entrance to a Hindu temple

Planting the future

Team members with invaluable translator at a parent meeting

Team effort setting up the bedkit for the photo shoot

We are all greeted with the lighting of the friendship lamp

Lunch is served!

Team Sri Lanka with the Rotary Club of Kelaniya, and many, many dedicated local volunteers. Thanks to you all!

Team Sri Lanka 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sri Lanka, 2024: July 27

I'm confident that there have been plenty of stories from the Sri Lankan 2024 team regarding smiling children, thankful parents and bountiful feasts provided by our hosts. Today, I'm sending pics of the cheeky monkeys that greeted me on my balcony this morning and later in the evening on my return.

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The team completed two distributions today, one in Anthonypuram and the other in Murukkan. Along the drive it is not unusual to encounter herds of cows crossing the road, slowing our journey. The northern part of Sri Lanka is rural with an abundance of agriculture.

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It is a difficult life but our gifts of bedkits make their lives a little brighter.

Team Sri Lanka, 2024

Rotary Club of Kelaniya 🇱🇰 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Tanzania, 2024: July 27

In our first home visit we followed a teacher and his 11 year old student through many alleys and dirt roads to a 2 room house. There lived a mother and 7 other people. The mother was housing her 3 children - the 11 year old, a child in secondary school, an older daughter who had a job at a local Chinese factory, and the daughter’s little 2 year old!

Also living there were her 2 nephews whom she was supporting because her sister had passed away, and lastly, there was another nephew who has malaria!

She showed us where the new mattress would be placed and was extremely happy and very grateful for all the contents in the bedkit.

There was no kitchen in the area but a small hallway where we expected she did some cooking on a stove like in the picture below!

When we spoke to the teacher he did confirm that the children at the school received a meager lunch that was subsidized by the government. This might be the only meal the young student received for the day!

After our visit the teacher walked the young boy back to school as his school day was not yet finished. They go to school from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It was certainly an enlightening visit.

Team Tanzania 2024
Upendo 🇹🇿 + SCAW 🇨🇦