While on a work trip to Kenya, Peter Ball from Rotary in Alloway, Scotland was introduced to Dorothy Mutizwa-Mangiza from Rotary in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Peter learned of the extreme poverty and hardship in the area and the desperate need for reading material for children in rural primary schools near Harare.
In one school 45 children were sharing one textbook.
Rotary in Alloway adopted this project during the summer of 2020 and they contacted local schools in Ayrshire.
In one school 45 children were sharing one textbook.”
They met with the then Director of Education at South Ayrshire Council, Douglas Hutchison, who kindly spread the word and soon after over 1,000 books were donated from several Schools.
School pupils pack the books to be sent out.
Rotary in Alloway President, Bill Grant, together with John Thomson and Peter Christy, collected, stored, sorted, and packed some 22 boxes of books ready for shipping which ended up weighing over half a ton!
The shipment of these books was delayed by Covid and a subsequent unexpected rise in shipping costs.
In support Rotary Clubs of Thornbury and Chipping Sodbury were financial sponsors towards the shipment costs which was greatly appreciated.
Onward freight transport by road will see them arrive at the school district near Harare after around 12 weeks.”
The books finally left the storage facility in Ayr on Thursday 24th July and the journey will take approximately 10 weeks by sea to Durban.
Onward freight transport by road will see them arrive at the school district near Harare after around 12 weeks.
