Matresses for Ngonzini
A group of Trust Friends from Ilfracombe College in Devon have shown tremendous dedication to Sally's Children's Trust, here's their story...
Jan Gatley's account...
It took 18 months for 22 students and 3 staff from Ilfracombe College to prepare for our trip to Kenya. We had to raise a lot of money and get fit ready for our trek up Mt Kenya. We went with Camps International who organise student and gap year visits. None of the students had visited Kenya before so for them it was a massive new experience.
What a time we had, working hard to help rebuild a school and then visiting the elephant sanctuary. As part of our time at the sanctuary we were priviledged to meet the students and staff of Ngonzini school. Great fun was had helping out in their plant nursery and playing sports with the school. We also managed to buy soap that is made by the enterprising students.
It was during a conversation with Gemma at the elephant sanctuary that we discovered that about 60 children at the school live too far away to travel daily so during the week they sleep on a classroom floor.
We put our heads together and decided that we could think of no better way to spend the money we had brought with us, than to arrange for the purchase of a mattress for each child. In that way we would be able to see exactly where our money was going and be able to show clear evidence to the people back home who had supported us, that their money does make a big difference.
I am really proud of the generosity of the students from Ilfracombe College as it would have been understandable if they had used that money to fund their trip to Kenya, instead, having been made so welcome by people who have so little materially, and yet such big hearts, the students made the decision to do something to make a difference.
There is no doubt that their trip to Kenya has made a difference to all their lives, at a recent reunion a year after the trip they were all still buzzing with amazing memories.
In comparison with what Kenya gave to us we feel that we have given so little.
