The students and two members of staff from Blackburn’s Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School Sixth Form are flying out to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, for two and a half weeks on June 29.
While they are there the students will be helping to paint, decorate and mend desks at The Good Samaritan School as well as helping with teaching and child welfare.
Through fundraising projects the students have raised £12,000 which they are hoping to spend on bringing electricity and running water to the school, which has 250 students aged four to 11.
“We went out to the school in 2010 for the first time and built two extra classrooms. This time we want to hopefully bring water and electricity to the school as well as plaster all the walls, put in windows, build toilet facilities and put down proper concrete floors as at the moment they are just made of dirt. The school was originally founded to provide security and education for Aids Orphans. Today, it has broadened its intake and, while it still houses and feeds many pupils, most walk to the school from surrounding areas. Our aim is to try and bring the school up to western standards over the next four years and then, hopefully, it will be taken over by the state.
Teacher and project leader Andy Buckingham
Pendle councillor Margaret Foxley, who is director of complementary studies at the school, is also going to work on the project.
She said: “It is such a worthy project, we are all privileged to be taking part in it.
“The students are extremely excited about the trip, it will be a real eye opener.
“We asked them all to try and raise £150 to pay for improvements to the school. In total they have actually raised £12,000.”
Andy added: “We had been looking for ways to broaden the horizons of the students. One of our parents, Dr Paul Wright, had links to the area and established contact with the school.”
Fundraising events have included a sponsored run from Penrith, a car wash, bake sale, fashion show and several evenings of music.
Original Published by Lancashire Telegraph
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