Team Tanzania 2017 has
been on the go with our first distribution today in Gogo! 785 children and
their families are sleeping better tonight thanks to the many donors who make
this all possible.
Our bright-eyed team
departed Toronto Pearson Airport on Tuesday, and we arrived in Dar es Salaam Wednesday
afternoon (not as bushy-tailed). After claiming our luggage, we were
immediately greeted by the big smiles and open arms of Mama Wandoa, Benjamin
and Wendy. No time to spare, we jumped right into business, visiting Mama
Wandoa’s house which housed the backpacks full of bedkit goodies, and met with
one of the men responsible for sewing garments and backpacks for the bedkits.
Our first distribution
site was in Gogo, just over an hour’s drive from Dar es Salaam. We arrived to
crowds of excited children and parents, waiting in anticipation. Well… they
weren’t the only ones excited, so were we!
Team Tanzania 2017 is
half distribution newbies, and half veterans. Working together, we soon found
our distribution groove, and did a lot of high-fives with the children along
the way. As a newbie myself, I was fortunate enough to help out in an array of
distribution tasks. But by far, the most special task I performed was
interviewing parents and children who had just received bedkits.
With a strong focus on
sleep habits and quality of sleep, I was able to connect one-on-one with nine
families. Mothers, fathers, grandmothers and their children spoke with me (with
translation help from Benjamin) about their lives and how well they sleep at
night, prior to receiving a bedkit. I learned more about these families than I
ever anticipated, holding back my emotions as I was moved by their stories and inspired
by their strength.
What a wonderful start
to our distribution journey here in Tanzania. My cheeks already hurt from
smiling so much, and I can’t wait to get started on day two!
Lyndsay Wallis for Team Tanzania 2017
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