News

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Charities Working Together

IMG_0367On Thursday 17 December 2015 a group of people packed a container to send to Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Three charities, Police Aid Convoys, The David School and Street Child sent 130 bikes, clothing, equipment and health supplies.  IMG_0326

This work was completed in Retford with the help of Local Rotarians and representatives of the charities.  It took two hours to complete before the container went by lorry to Doncaster railway station and then by rail to Southampton.  The ship is due to arrive early in the second week of January 2016.

IMG_0348The School will receive 30 donated bikes to be used by senior pupils who currently walk for two hours to get to school.  In addition seven boxes of soap, toothpaste and other health supplies will be delivered to school.IMG_0345

Everything was donated and the charity only had to fund a few gallons of diesel fuel.IMG_0328

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Sierra Leone – The David School

Dear All,
Wonderful news today – Sierra Leone is officially Ebola free and the Foreign Office have lifted their travel ban.
We hope that direct flights will resume again within the next few weeks.
Thank you for all your help and patience through these difficult times.
Best wishes
David
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David’s visit to Stamford Inner Wheel on 12/03/15

P1010955Left to right Lord Mayor of Stamford, Councillor Clem Walden, Jan Mayling (President Stamford Inner Wheel), Kathy Walpole (Club International Services Officer), Mrs Walden and me!
Over 100 ladies from Inner wheel Clubs across the area attended. Lunch and then a presentation which was well received. I received a cheque for £250. Janet got a plant!!
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Gifts For The Children

ashbeachPupils from the Ashbeach School in Ramsey St Mary’s, Cambridgeshire have filled boxes with gifts for children at the David School, and these have now been shipped out to Freetown, ready to be distributed. The  boxes contained items like pencils and other wrting materials, balls, small cuddly animals and toys, as well as a letter from the child who filled the box.
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Wind-Up Radios

Thanks to the generosity of the Girdlers’ Company Charitable Trust, we have been able to ship 35 Roberts Wind-up radios out to the community to giedlers companyallow the children to access the radio lessons that the government are providing until schools are given permission to open again. For more information about the Girdlers’Company, visit their website at www.girdlers.co.uk.

Update:  The 35 Roberts Wind-up radios have arrived at the school and are being put to good use. Lessons are broadcast every school day with Primary sessions from 10-11am, Lower Secondary ones from 2-3pm and those for Upper Secondary pupils from 4-5pm.  Different subjects are covered each day. At Mile 36, the teachers work with pupils within small groups at these times – close to where the children live.  Some of the parents are involved with helping, so they are learning as well

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Soap Wanted

Careful hygiene helps prevent the spread of Ebola. To support this, and the teachers’ work in promoting hand-washing, we are now collecting bars of soap which we will ship out to the community. All contributions will be very gratefully received. Please email me at wallwork26@btinternet.com to find the best way of getting your contribution to me, as there may be a volunteer in your area prepared to act as a collector.

Update: The first 800 bars of soap which were shipped out to Sierra Leone at the end of November, have now arrived at the school. This will support the teachers’ work in promoting hand-washing, as careful hygiene helps prevent thespread of Ebola
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Roll Out The Barrel

Thanks to Adrian Brewer, Rotary Club of Cowes (IOW) and Bill Leslie from the Rotary Club of Ellsmere Port, we now have 110 water barrels on their way to our villages in Sierra Leone.
No longer will small children have to carry water weighing up to 25kg on their heads, they can roll it home.
A simple solution to a perennial problem.
Please click on the link below to visit their website and read more about this wonderful project.
Roll Out the Rotary Barrel
Thank you on behalf of all our families. Watch here to see pictures of them being used.

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November 2013 Trip

The latest trip to the school in Sierra Leone is going well. David, Catherine and Michael have been joined by two Norwegians, Kjell Hoydal and Per Helge Josok, who are making preparations for completing the secondary school next year. They are particularly concentrating on the roof, which they will return to build next March. The children with sight problems have been checked and their spectacles changed when necessary. On Saturday 23rd November the 23 pupils who passed their primary school exams will be taken to the beach for a party, along with the school’s 7 teachers. The team will meet the Paramount Chief and the Rotary Club of Makeni on Sunday 24th. David has run a workshop at the Milton Margai Residential School for the Blind in Freetown, which Isatu from Mile 36 attends. He talked to staff about how to integrate blind pupils into ordinary schools. He is also working on getting NGO status for the David School Trust.

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Thanks to Norway

rotaryEveryone at the David School, Sierra Leone says

Thank You Norway

To Rotary Districts
District 2305 for DG 2012 Solar system,  DG 2013 Scholarship and GG 2014
District 2250 for GG 2014
To Rotary clubs:
Giske Rotary club   Hareid Rotary club   Herøy Rotary club   Molde Rotary club
Stranda Rotary club   Stryn Rotary club   Sykkylven Rotary club                Ulstein Rotary club   Ørsta Rotary club   Volda Rotary club

And particularly the following Rotarians who visited Sierra Leone & helped with the building: Harald Indresøvde,  John Stennes,  Kjell Høydal and Per Helge Josøk

Vikebygda Sanitetslag
The Coordinating Support Group
All Rotarian and non-Rotarians who sponsor children at The David School
TUSEN TAKK