The reward of good work is more good work, of course

Reveal too much efficiency and dedication as a rank and file volunteer and you may end up as national coordinator of TOS activities in your country! This is what has happened to two workers after the TS Congress in Rome.

Rosella Milani Fanzio acted as saleslady at the bazaar organised by the TOS in Italy at the Rome Congress last July. She and her team put in long hours at their post, remaining charming and courteous to all, even late into the evenings. The reward for Rosella’s indefatigability was to be appointed national director of the TOS in Italy a few months later.

Rosella Milani Fanzio, left and Usha Shah, right

Usha Shah, one of the members of the Kenyan delegation at the TS Congress in Rome last July, offered to carry 30 teddy bears knitted by Italian TOS members back to Nairobi for distribution to children experiencing tragedy. Usha is diminutive in size and she bravely shepherded her bag of teddies through customs check points all the way from Rome to Nairobi.

Spending 24 hours with a bag of teddies for company apparently affords plenty of time for creative thinking. Usha ended up organising a Christmas party for 30 children at the cancer ward of Kenyatta National Hospital. Here is her description of the event:

“Our party went off very well and it was a delight to see the children enjoying every moment of the two hours the members of the TOS were there. The youngsters were all receiving their treatments and going out and coming in but at last all of them were done. We started with a prayer recited by one of the children. Acrobats came in and juggled their hats and their baseball bats and then engaged in some acrobatic exercises, making the children laugh and shout. They were delighted to be drawn into the act themselves. Skipping had never seemed so funny. Even the adults were convinced to skip, much to the amusement of the children. The acrobat act really broke the ice and even the really ill children began to smile and clap.

Then came our singer who had brought his keyboard. All joined in the singing, the children participating gustily. During this entertainment, face painting was going on. The children just loved it. Next on the programme was food. We were told not to bring any cooked food, sweets or chocolates so we brought along pineapples, oranges, grapes, mangoes, bananas, apples and melons with fresh fruit juices made of melon, passion fruit and tree tomatoes. Except for the grapes and bananas all the fruit was washed, cut into slices etc. and put in the fridge so it was deliciously cool. Our Nairobi TOS coordinator’s wife, Pratibha, had made queen cakes and each child was given a dish with a cake and all the fruits. Some children were delighted with this feast but others were unfortunately not able to eat as they had swallowing problems or had just been given medicines, etc.

The children took their dishes to their bedside lockers to finish later and sat on their beds for gift time. First they received a party pack with bubble gums, sweets, a Bagun toy, balloons, a book etc. and then a second gift pack was distributed with a toy, sweets, chocolates, stationery and a soft toy. And the final moment of fun was the presentation of the teddy bears knitted with such love by our Italian sisters. The children’s cup of happiness was full. Now the whole ward was simply a place full of children playing with their toys or just clutching their teddy bears with love, looking at all the goodies which had come their way!

All this happened just because the TOS in Italy was kind enough to knit us a big bag of teddies. A great idea germinated in Rome and resulted in joy for thirty children in Nairobi. We send loving thanks to our sisters in Milan, Forlì and Rome.”

Usha was appointed coordinator of TOS activities in Nairobi in March. Moral of the story? Hide your light under a bushel or you may be the next person appointed to an official role in the TOS!