Index

LET US SHINE - INTRODUCTION

In early 2006, after spending over a year working in a

children's school in Ghana, Fiona Marra, a pharmacist

from East Kilbride, came home and decided she wanted

to devote her time to helping young children in Ghana.

She founded Let Us Shine (a Scottish Registered Charity)

later that year, and after doing further research in Ghana

decided that she wanted to build a primary school for girls

in Kpandai, Northern Ghana simply because the need

there was so great.

Fiona spoke to the Club during the summer of 2006 and the members were so impressed by her commitment that the Club decided to offer support in raising funds to build the school. In July 2007 a very successful cruise down the River Clyde on the Waverley was supported by Rotarians from several clubs and a total of £7600 was raised. This allowed two classrooms to be built and accommodation refurbished for about forty girl boarders. This work complete, teachers were recruited and the school opened on 6 November 2007 with sixty two pupils in two classes.

However further support was now needed to pay for the school running costs. Fiona decided that these should be covered by recruiting individual sponsors for each girl and during another visit to the Club members were encouraged to complete sponsor packs. This combined with promotional

talks by Fiona and Club members at other local Rotary Clubs, plus external recruitment by Fiona and the Charity Trustees has resulted in almost all the original intake being sponsored, and further donations being made.

The Let Us Shine Girls Academy in Kpandai was officially opened on 25 June 2008, and following a fund raising effort by a Club member sufficient money was raised to start the building of a third classroom and library in September. Another thirty girls will start their first education in December.

Further development plans are in place to build accommodation; cooking and toilet facilities on the five acre plot now owned by Let Us Shine. These combined with dedicated water and electricity supplies will allow the school to provide an unmatched standard of education in the area, and also general community education.

The eventual aim is to provide seven classrooms with all necessary support facilities, and this will need the continuing support of the Club plus some external assistance from other Clubs and other sources .

If you would like to help provide a better future for a girl and "Make Her Dreams Real" please contact us at - admin@ekrotary.co.uk

You can help by clickng their web site here letusshine.org