SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 22

We were greeted today by over 700 children and their parents in Khandala, near Satara. Our hosts received us with a warm welcome and we were adorned with traditional headwear for the opening ceremonies.

Hall filled with eager children

Julie with headwear and flowers

Although a bit chaotic to start, the SCAW team and Rotary partners pulled together quickly to run a smooth distribution. 

The Rotary Team Captain for today was Sakina and after making sure all was well, she settled in to do our tracking for the day. 

Helen, Julie (taking photos) and Sakina (tracking)

The chldren must be accompanied by a parent or guardian as the collective bedkit items could not be carried by a chlld alone.

Helping a child put on his new backpack

Mother and child getting black bag with bedkit items

Mother and child picking up the mattress

Today I had the special privilege to deliver some of the bedkits that my friends in Canada have donated. It is very rewarding to see the smiles on the children's faces and know that 100% of our money is put into the bedkit items for each child.

Helen with bedkit recipient

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 21

A Successful First Distribution

We left the chaos of Pune city traffic and drove three hours on curving mountain roads lined with wildflowers  and the lush Satara forest.  This area was chosen for a distribution because the region had experienced devastating floods during historic monsoon rains in June and there was a great need for the items in the bedkits.

We travelled through an agricultural area where the sugar cane harvest was in progress before arriving at the community centre for our first distribution at Koregaon in the district of Satara. 

We were greeted by a band of drummers and horns and members of the local Rotarian club. It was an emotional experience as 700 children, their parents, grandparents and teachers welcomed us with cheers and clapping. Following a brief cultural ceremony the SCAW team presented the items in the bedkit. 

The children cheered loudest for the warm hoodie, the fleece blanket and the raincoat. That told us that our Overseas Volunteer Partner, the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonement, truly identified and met the specific needs of their community.

Our first distribution day went smoothly, and our SCAW team of two were so appreciative of the experience and hard work of all the Rotarian volunteers. Afterwards the local Rotarians graciously hosted us for a traditional lunch, so delicious!

We hope that all 709 children will sleep better tonight and be prepared for the cold winter nights and next year’s monsoon season.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: November 20

Team Pune has arrived!  Unfortunately, we are a team of two due to issues getting visas for our travelling volunteers. But fortunately, we are working with a very organized and supportive group of Rotary Clubs to accomplish our mission.

We had our pre-distribution meeting with the core planning team from the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment.

Photo from left to right: Helen, Julie, Sameer, Hema, Tawhid, Rajeshree, Nitin and Pankaj.

We discussed the details of our distribution and were shown the bedkit items. New this year is a 2” foam mattress covered in durable fabric.  Later in the evening we met and shared a meal with the 10 Rotary partner clubs that work together to make this project a success.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 15

Distributions are done. Thanks to everyone involved, there are 5,000 children in the areas around Pune better equipped to sleep well and more ready to learn at school. 

The team had a day of packing, a trip to the Indian market, a wrap-up meeting with the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment, and a delightful dinner with many heartfelt speeches.

We all fly out tomorrow, but will be saying our good-byes at the airport in India, before heading home via different flights. 

Thanks go out to our families who support us in our travels. 

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 14

Today is day 7 and sadly, our last distribution on this trip to Pune. Although this was a small distribution site, 64 schools came to collect over 700 bedkits. We happened to arrive early before any of the children and we found the organizers hard at work preparing shaded areas. It was such a pleasure to engage with the children as they trickled in. We looked at photos of snow, icebergs and sea ice which they were fascinated by but it was the videos of penguins, seals and whales which captured their imaginations.

As I was following my curiosity and poking around the classrooms, I came upon a small group of kids playing in a classroom. We shared a lively rendition of the alphabet song and counting to 30 before reviewing their vocabulary words on the chalkboard. They were very proud to practice their English skills with me.

Clearly, they have a talented English teacher at this school as this is the most English we have discovered. While many of the children (and parents) show their gratitude by saying thank you in English while collecting their bedkits, these kids wanted to practice engaging by answering my “How are you?” question with a “Fine” reply, and a “How are you?” grinning from ear to ear. What an advantage these children will have.

On this Valentine’s Day, the focus was really on the children and it was a heartwarming day all around.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 12

We had a wonderful welcome in Bhigwan and lots of help during the distribution from our Rotarian friends. Each Rotary Club that hosts a distribution showcases their local culture and shows us heartfelt hospitality.

Today Eileen was able to interview some parents to understand how the families live, work and sleep. This information provides insight into the benefit of the items in the bedkit.

As a child moves through the process of getting their bedkits, a parent or guardian is always close at hand to support them and of course carry the large and heavy bedkit back home!

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 13

We were again greeted by sun this AM as we started our journey to Dhom in a mountainous area of Pune. The drive up the mountain pass was interesting to say the least. There three lanes of one way traffic with transport trucks, cars, vans and scooters all vying for a place at the top but in true Indian style they worked it out and all were safe. 

Once there we had our usual greetings from the school band and performers. The girls from the school where the distribution was held.performed a cultural dance of the Adivasis , an indigenous people who live in the surrounding mountains. This dance seemed to have a similarity, to me, to some our our Canadian aboriginal dances.

My job today was to hand the backpacks to the children and it is definitely my favourite as I have the opportunity to interact with the children and their parents. Today I was assisted in this role by three teachers from some of the 65 surrounding schools and they happily shared their local knowledge with me. Their caring and concern for “ my children” as these men called  them was inspiring. We enjoyed having our pictures with the smiling children. It is with sadness that I realize that we have only one distribution day left.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 11

Today was our 4th day of distribution. We left early in the morning and headed to Kanhewadi, which is a small village north west of Pune, surrounded by very lush farmland. We were given a very warm welcome, and were then escorted to the distribution site by a marching, bell ringing, band of students. 

During the day, we heard about some particularly generous people in the area. When they heard we were coming, the local school board declared a holiday so that the students could come. Some of the teachers got together and provided food for the children and parents. Other teachers, realizing that they had no transportation, drove children and parents to the distribution on their scooters. 

The bedkit this year in Pune is also quite generous. It has a larger number of items than I have ever seen before. It includes the usual things - bedding, mosquito net, clothing, backpack and school supplies, but also includes a few unique things: a hoodie, that the children apparently love, a rain poncho, a really good pair of waterproof shoes, and nail clippers to help minimize the dirt that can end up being ingested. 

 Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 11

Today was a rest day so the SCAW Team visited a Naturopathic Clinic which practices Ayurvedic medicine. A few people from the team participated in a restorative and Nidra yoga class. We all fell asleep!

Later we visited a spirited vender who supplied the 5000 knapsacks required for the Pune distribution. The happy adult team of 4 sewers, 2 cutters and 1 trimmer were hard at work in a clean and airy environment.

We are looking forward to delivering the bedkits to the children.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 9

Today was a day off from distributions for us as it is Sunday and teachers are busy preparing for national exams for the children tomorrow. It was a day for us to enjoy the history, sights and sounds of Pune and the hospitality of the members of the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment. Rotarians Dr. Rajeshsee Kakde, Gayatri Tiwari and Farzana Limbdiwala were our drivers and tour guides for this enjoyable day.We first visited the Iskcon Temple where we viewed the deities and the reverence of people praying as well as enjoying the delicious food served.

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After a Starbuck’s Coffee we went to the magnificent Aga Khan Palace and grounds and learned the history of this site and its role in Mahatma Gandhi’s Free India Movement and his imprisonment there during World War II. We had some fun walking the manicured grounds.

We then went to the Phenix Mall where we enjoyed live entertainment and refreshments followed by a traditional Indian meal at the Rajdhani Thali. The meal looked scrumptious and the tastes and aromas of spices, vegetables and sweets “warmed” the palate.

Following this we went to the home of Rotarian Dr. Nitin Shah and his wife for a delicious homemade High Tea. There some of us renewed old friendships, as Nitin shared his dedication to SCAW and Rotary and their shared desire to help children receive restful sleep to better meet their full potential.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 8

Today might be a day off from distributions, but not a day off of SCAW promotion!

Our Rotary friend Sameer Rupani took us to the 17th Annual District 3131 Rotaract Conference. This is a two-day leadership development, learning and networking event for approximately 300 Rotaracts (18-30 years).

When we walked into the conference centre, we could feel the energy and enthusiasm of these young adults. The District Rotaract President, Drishti Singh warmly welcomed us.

Sameer had arranged that he and our SCAW team make a 40 minute presentation. Starting with our PPT (made into a video), we then had a fireside chat (Q&A) with Sameer about the work of the organization and our strong partnership with the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment and other area clubs. The presentation ended with a video of the bedkit packing process in Pune.

Our timing was great, as we also met and briefly chatted with the Honourable Minister of Women and Children, Aditi Tatkare. She is a young female politician who is working hard to make positive changes in her State of Maharashtra, India. She had a SCAW brochure in her hand before she left.  We also met Dr. Manesh Kotbasi, a recent Past Director of Rotary International.

After the session we enjoyed some fabulous Indian street food prepared by the Center.

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This was a wonderful opportunity to engage with many of the Rotaracts and talk more about SCAW. I think we even convinced a few to join us later in the week for a distribution day!

For the children . . .

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 7

Today, the team travelled to an agricultural village in a mountainous area north of Pune. This was our third and largest day of distributions so far. Over 700 children should sleep more comfortably tonight than they have in the past. 

The bedkit that has been put together in Pune this year has so many items, that logistically the only way it can be handled is by having a parent or other adult accompany each child through the various stages of the distribution process. I had the privilege of handing the bedkits out today. 

I have often heard other travelling volunteers say that the favourite thing about a SCAW distribution is the smiles of the children as they receive their very own bedkit. However, today, what struck me were the smiles on the parents’ faces. I think it could easily be thought of as “Sleeping Parents Around the World,” because I’m sure that many of the parents we saw today will sleep better tonight, knowing that their child has some very basic supplies in place. 

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 6

Heading 90 km outside of Pune to our day 2 distribution site of Gohe, we met an unusual pachyderm at our rest stop. This robotic life-size elephant enjoyed the rural breeze by flapping his ears and brought smiles to Team SCAW and our partners.

After a drive of a couple of hours, we were met by a robust marching band featuring several drums and a creative horn player. Children and parents were excitedly gathered around in anticipation of the bedkit distribution. More celebrations ensued by dancing troupes from 2 of the 64 schools in attendance

After all the marching, dancing, and recognition ceremonies of the various partners necessary to create and accommodate the multiple aspects of a distribution were completed, almost 700 children and their families benefited from receiving SCAW bedkits today. All of the various gifts were well appreciated by all!

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 5

This morning started with a 1.5 hour drive to our first distribution at Yavat, near Pune.

We quickly became aware that our overseas partners, the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment, had created a unique situation in which the children chosen for this distribution were given the opportunity to receive the benefits of another charity. An eye hospital in Pune had sent staff to the distribution site to give eye examinations to all the children. If further investigation was necessary, or corrective eyewear or eye surgery needed then they would follow-up and provide these services free of charge. 

We at SCAW recognize how important restful safe sleep is to the physical, emotional and educational development of young children and good vision is also significant in their educational development. This seemed to be a winning combinations as the children chosen to receive the SCAW bedkit also received diagnostic vision care at the same time. 

The logistics for set-up and organization of such a distribution takes many volunteer hours of planning and adding the eye examinations efficiently to the service would have required extra planning. The eye examinations were done first and the children then proceeded through the regular distribution process of clothing sizing, picture taking and bedkit distribution. Their parents and guardians were able to follow along with them, all wearing proud smiles.

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Pune, 2025: February 4

Team Pune (Jeff, Kathy, Eileen and Helen) arrived safely in Pune on Tuesday morning, Feb. 4. Our pre-distribution meeting with the Pune Rotarians went very well with lots of discussion and planning for our distribution days. We’re off tonight to meet with the other Rotary Clubs that support this project. We’re looking forward to starting tomorrow!

Team Pune, 2025

Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment 🇮🇳 and SCAW 🇨🇦