Chris and Gail Hills distribute bed kits for Sleeping Children Around the World
By Susan HundertmarkReturned recently from the island of Sri Lanka off the southeast coast of India, Gail and Chris Hill, of Seaforth, are still reeling from the stark difference between the "haves" in Canada and the "have-nots" in Sri Lanka.
Working as volunteers with Sleeping Children Around the World, the Hills distributed 4,000 bed kits to seven schools in northern Sri Lanka during a two week visit at the end of September and beginning of October.
"We're just getting over the after effects of the trip. You come back here and everything seems so shallow. They have nothing there and yet, they're happy," says Chris.
While the couple has been contributing to the Sleeping Children organization for years by buying $35 bed kits as Christmas presents for their children and grandchildren, the Hills decided recently that they would like to see the communities that are benefitting from the donations and signed up for the volunteer training. While the organization serves underdeveloped and developing countries around the world, the Hills were offered the chance in April to go to Sri Lanka.
Sleeping Children Around the World was founded in 1970 by Murray and Margaret Dryden, who wanted to see every child in the world benefit from the comfort of a good night's sleep. The bed kits provide a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, mosquito net, clothes, towel and school supplies and are made in the countries where they are distributed to support the local economy.
"It's the only charity that we know of where 100 per cent of your donation goes directly to the children themselves," says Gail.
The Hills say the typical school in Sri Lanka is a concrete building with a blackboard painted on the concrete wall. They were greeted at each school with balloons, flowers and a dance presentation by children whose parents had often borrowed an outfit they could wear for the day since their regular clothes are "rags and tatters," says Chris.
"The children, when they greet you, bow down and touch your feet to honour you and you feel so humble. We shed lots of tears," says Gail.
Most of the children live in two-room houses with dirt floors and everyone sleeps on the floor in one room. Cooking takes place outside "using pots and pans you and I would have thrown out years ago," says Chris. Many of the families live on subsistence farms where they grow the rice they eat during every meal, along with coconuts, pineapple, mango and bananas.
While the people speak Tamil or Sinhalese, the children learn some English at school and every visit made by the Hills included a speech of welcome by one of the children.
"It was in English and it was flawless," says Gail. "And, even though we didn't have the same language as a lot of people, we managed to communicate. Sometimes we needed two translators."
Some of the families walked eight miles to the schools to pick up the bed kits – others had bikes or took "tuck-tucks" which are motor scooter taxis.
In a warm climate, which ranges between 20 and 40 degrees Celsius, malaria is common so the mosquito nets can be a preventative tool.
The Hills could still see the effects of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that devastated the western coast of India and Sri Lanka, killing over 230,000 people with 30-metre high waves.
They spent time talking to a fishing family who lived in wooden-framed tents thatched with palm leaves on the beach. The mother, father and four children were squatting in the sand sorting fish, telling them about how relatives had been drowned during the tsunami.
They could also see the effects of 30-year civil war and were told repeatedly during their trip by Sri Lanka residents that the country is rebuilding now that the war is over. The Hills were part of Sleeping Children's first trip into Sri Lanka since the war's end.
"They want the West to know that the war is over and they're moving ahead now," says Chris.
One of the jobs they had was to interview the parents and children to make sure the bed kit donation would be of benefit to them. They learned that while the children had school uniforms supplied to them by the government, they were required to have shoes to go to school but didn't necessarily have access to them.
"Flip flops were part of the bed kits but we're looking at providing covered shoes," says Gail.
The Hills, who paid for their own trip as volunteers, say they would return to Sri Lanka "in a heartbeat" if they had the opportunity.
And, while they tried to prepare with an orientation session, the two say you are never completely prepared for the stark difference between North American plenty and the poverty you see on such a trip.
"The poorest schools just erupted with excitement when we walked in. They all said they needed more educational supplies for the children because they realize that education is the key," says Chris. "We see a lot more unhappy 'haves' in this country because they don't have the latest gadgets."
"They were just so grateful in Sri Lanka. It was an amazing adventure," adds Gail.
The Hills are available to talk to local schools, church groups and other organizations about their trip to Sri Lanka and the charity Sleeping Children Around the World. They can be reached at 519-522-1913.
