South Africa

In 2001 I was very fortunate to travel to South Africa to Kwazulu Natal with Northampton L.E.A. to visit ten schools in the Zulu settlements. The purpose of my visit then, was to compare the education system in South Africa with that of our own.

This visit proved to be a very moving experience for me.

On my return I inspired my children and staff to fund raise for the children I had the privilege of meeting in the Zulu schools. I held an ‘Out of Africa’ evening at school for parents and was invited to speak to parishioners by my Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Walne at Mass on ‘Education Sunday’.

In April 2004 I returned. As before, my visit proved to be life changing because of the people I met the places I saw and the emotions I experienced.

My visit was to influence my Citizenship programme in school and would help my children have a positive image of black culture.

The Crèche I visited, deep in the tribal Zulu heartlands had taken us high over mountain tops where the road met the sky and then fell away crumbling into the steep valley below. This Crèche was for Aids orphans.

As we arrived, three of the local community were completing the foundations for toilets. There was evidence of self help here unlike some of the other schools we had visited. The two staff that had set up the Crèche had great plans for the future. They hoped to set up a sewing room in the adjoining area where some of the women could make uniforms for the children when they moved on to their next school. They also were trying to organise a food programme for all the children. Medical research has proved that having a good balanced meal every day lengthens the children’s life expectancy when they are HIV positive. As a group we decided that we would provide support for this Crèche in the following ways:

       o    A daily food aid programme for HIV orphans at the Crèche

o    Sewing machines & training for the local community as a self help  project

       o    Learning resources for the children

We had been fund raising for Zulu Schools for over three years as part of my School’s Charity Campaign. Now our money raised would be put to good use and would give our school community an understanding of how their good work was helping needy children in the wider community.

Kenya

We are currently involved in a Project with the help of the British Council called ‘Connecting Schools’.

We have formed a partnership with a school in Kenya called the ‘Karuri School’ Project. This year we have so far raised £500 towards the dormitory section of the school for orphaned children whose parents have died from AIDS. We are also looking into sponsoring children by way of providing food and education when the dormitories are opened in 2011. 

Local businesses are supporting this project:

• Web site design (Sphere Partnership, Northampton)

• Computer hardware (Computer Wholesale Ltd. Wellingborough)