Index

LET US SHINE 7th report May 2011

The first half of 2011 has been a relatively quiet period at Kpandai. The new Volunteer Accommodation building, complete with flushing toilets, a first at Kpandai, was finished and the second dormitory building funded by the Club is nearly complete.

Following a visit last year by a volunteer Swiss ophthalmologist, during which he checked the eyesight of all the girls, follow up treatment funded by Glasgow Rotoractors was carried out at the new hospital located alongside the school.

More financial support totalling £4600 was received from two supporters who completed the New York Marathon. This money was used to fit ceilings in Kilbride House to deaden the noise of heavy rain during the wet season; and also purchase beds, mattresses and a grinding mill. This machinery will allow the cooks to grind their home grown crop once funds are raised to build a separate Milling House.

The main fund raising project to purchase a reconditioned tractor was boosted by a large donation from Cambuslang Rotary Club, although only sufficient has been raised for the wheels and chassis! Still a long way to go with this project, but when combined with the purchase of more land, its completion will allow a cash generating farming enterprise to be started.

On the education front, each of the five classes will shortly be provided with a new computer thanks to a generous grant from the Mary Hodge Trust based in Stirling. There was also support from the Vodafone Foundation, who paid the cost of a volunteer worker for two months, which allowed valuable progress to be made on database preparation and fundraising initiatives.

The volunteer programme has continued to provide valuable support for the teachers, one of whom is going to attend Cape Coast University during summer breaks to gain his degree in teaching. This has been funded by local organisations including Blacklaw Primary School, whose "Loose Change Changes Lives" campaign not only funds the education of two girls, but won the school the South Lanarkshire Silver Salver for community work.