At African Adventures, we’ve lost count of the number of times our volunteers have gone above and beyond to support our partner projects.
We think it’s important to acknowledge their kindness and generosity because we are consistently humbled by the support of those who choose to travel with us or donate to African Adventures Foundation. Over the years, our groups have been unwavering in their loyalty and dedication, and Springfield School in Portsmouth is a wonderful example.
Since 2013, they have embarked on four trips to Nakuru, Kenya, and have established meaningful relationships with a number of our partner projects there. At the end of 2019, parents and students at the school donated an incredible £14,242.76 to our Foundation – a huge achievement which will make the world of difference to those who attend our partner projects in Kenya.
Read on to find out more about the impact that Springfield’s donation will have.
Why is this donation so crucial for our partner projects?
After the tragic collapse of a school in Nairobi last year, every school in Kenya underwent a mandatory safety inspection. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of our volunteers, almost all of our partner projects have managed to open for the new school year, and, provided that they make some further improvements to their facilities, will receive their school registration certificates.
How has their donation been used?
The upgrades that needed to be made for each school to open for the new academic year varied from project to project. Although Springfield School has established relationships with four projects in Kenya over the years, they kindly agreed for part of their donation to be shared between other projects, so that those newer to the African Adventures volunteer programme could make the necessary improvements.
As a result of their donation, a new permanent classroom is under construction at Mama Kerry Hope Academy, and, aside from painting the windows and doors, this is now ready for use. Meanwhile, West End Destiny Academy, which was asked to move to a more suitable location, has used a portion of Springfield’s donation to build two new permanent classrooms on their new site. This means that only one more classroom needs to be constructed at the new site before the school can adequately accommodate its full student population. Finally, Cherish School was also able to construct a permanent, brick-built classroom as a result of Springfield’s donation.
There is still more work to be carried out, but, thanks to the efforts of our volunteers, donors and schools like Springfield, their long-term future is more secure.
The remainder of Springfield’s donation has also been placed into a contingency fund, which will be used to fund further improvements to the schools’ facilities. Our 2020 volunteers will be continuing to assist with construction work in order to ensure that all of our partner projects receive their school registration certificates.
What does this mean for the children we support in Nakuru?
The partner projects we support in Kenya have been set up to provide a free education to children from the local community, who would otherwise be unable to attend school due to the costs of items such as uniforms and textbooks that come with attending government-run schools. All of our Kenyan partner projects also run feeding programmes, which guarantee their students at least one nutritious meal per day.
Needless to say, the impact of these schools closing would be widely, and deeply, felt. Education provides a path to future opportunities, and can ultimately change the course of a person’s life. Thanks to the altruism of our project leaders and volunteers, and the generosity of donations from individuals and groups such as Springfield School, the children we support in Kenya will be able to continue their education, which we believe is the most effective way to alleviate poverty.
Finally…
We want to say thank you to all the parents, students and staff of Springfield School – and all our volunteers and donors who have contributed to the recent construction work in Kenya – for your generosity, kindness, and support. We hope that you’ll continue travelling with us for years to come!
