Sleeping Children Around The World, Philippines

Sleeping Children-Phillipines
 
A Wee One Holding The Rotary Club of Simcoe Bedkit
 
November 26, 2015
Photographs: Courtesy of John Van Laar
Reporter: C. Richard Campbell -- Credit him for any errors, omissions or bad grammar!
 
Well, Simcoe Rotarians! If you got a warm and fuzzy feeling when you read the Elgin Avenue Public School Snoezelen story, then get ready for more. It is stories like these in our local and international communities that reinforce our Rotary commitment to make a difference and to leave this world just a little better than we found it.
 
Sleeping Children Bedkits
 
Bedkits
 
This story began with an entire different focus and was redirected to the Sleeping Children Around The World http://www.scaw.org/  One international project morphed into another.
 
Dave Dryden addressed the Club quite sometime ago about the organization. SCAW takes your donation of $35.00 and provides a Bedkit made or purchased by or from local people in the developing country that the Bedkit is intended for. This helps the local economy and avoids shipping charges. Local sourcing of Bedkits also results in reduced cost. Each kit consists of "a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, mosquito net, clothes outfit, towel and school supplies." The SCAW website states that about 1.4 million children in developing countries have been helped to get a good night's sleep.
 
Why Bedkits? This organization believes that every child has a right to a comfortable night's sleep. The Rotary Club of Simcoe has funded school nutrition programs because we believe you can not learn very well on an empty stomach. SCAW believes that a child in a developing country without proper sleep is at a distinct disadvantage. There are some other things you should know about the organization that Murray Dryden started, the Bedkits are given to children in a ratio of 50% girls and 50% boys, who are aged 6 to 12 regardless of culture and religion. The organization relies on volunteers to deliver $35.00 of product for each Bedkit donation.
 
Sleeping Children Bedkits
 
More Bedkits
 
Somewhere in this story The Rotary Club of Simcoe "hooked up" with John Van Laar of The Rotary Club of Collingwood who is a Past District Governor. John has visited our Club and spoken to us. He is involved with the Back2School Program http://www.backtoschoolproject.org. The Club came up with $ 5,000.00US and if my arithmetic is correct 143 Bedkits are produced. The authour has been reminded that this isn't the Club's first donation to SCAW but it is probably our largest.
 
Sleeping Children
 
Get a load of those T-Shirts. Their mothers are going to have a tough time keeping them clean!
 
The Rotary Club of Simcoe has always had a soft spot for children. It started in 1932 with Crippled Children, now know as Easter Seals and continues each day. All right, Simcoe Rotarians admit that you have a warm and fuzzy feeling after reading this story. If you wish to learn more about the organization or to donate, visit http://www.scaw.org/  Oh! Yes, they are also looking for volunteers.