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Mt Everest Primary School Opens

Submitted by grahamkinch on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 16:31.
On Monday 16th March 2009 Graham Kinch and Ian Taylor officially opened the Mt Everest Primary School in Kitandwe Uganda. Graham and Ian climbed Mt Everest in the spring of 2008 to raise money for the Kitandwe school project in partnership with the Irish charity Fields of Life. This concluded a 3 year project in which they climbed Mt Blanc, Kilimanjaro, Cerro Aconcagua, and Mt Everest and in the last year, thanks to huge support raised €60,000 for the school.
 
The school consists of two blocks totalling 7 classrooms and an office, toilet facilities and a bore-hole pump supplying water to over 600 villagers. The school will also double-up as multi-purpose community building.
 
An appropriate support structure e.g. a Board of Management, trained teachers, a Principal, a PTA, official curricula etc. is already in place, ensuring this investment will be fully and effectively utilised. The school has first to sixth classes in session (about 250 pupils), and next year they will start a seventh class.
 
As with most forms of integrated development aid, a two pronged approach is planned. The fundraising has successfully provided the required capital to build the school. Now child sponsorship is required to keep the school running.
 
Sponsoring a child through Fields of life is a one-by-one and a one-to-one approach to helping a child. Child sponsors play a significant role in assisting a child to fulfil his or her potential, but also support their family and community as well. Sponsored children receive school books, stationary, uniforms, school fees as well as a present at Christmas time that benefits the whole family e.g. a kerosene lamp.
 
Child sponsorship costs just €18 per month and sponsors receive letters from the child periodically as well as updated photos. Fields of Life will send the funds directly (via the Child Co-ordinator in Kampala) to Mt Everest Primary School.
 
“When we were in Kitandwe, Ian and I had the great pleasure of meeting our sponsored children” said Kinch. “It’s really encouraging to see them so excited and passionate about their education and we feel the name of the school captures their enthusiastic aspirations perfectly. The Fields of Life Child Sponsorship Coordinator in Kampala has identified 20 children, many of them orphans that are in need of sponsorship. Our aim is to have sponsors for all 20 of them by the end of April.”
 
Throughout East Africa vulnerable children are being deprived of an education. From an early age they have to work fetching water, carrying firewood or digging in the field. Often their water is dirty, food is scarce and weakening diseases make their lives unbearably hard. However, the greatest tragedy is the lack of opportunity to reach their full potential by the nurturing of their minds, and this greatly handicaps their ability to do better for themselves and build a more positive future.
 
Given the opportunity to go to school, these children can develop skills that would enable them to break out of the cycle of scarcity and hardship. Fields of Life assist local communities by firstly constructing schools, and then by supporting those schools with education and child sponsorship programmes. The Mt Everest Primary School, Kitandwe Child Sponsorship Programme ensures that children in need are being identified and provided the assistance necessary to enable them to attend school and become productive adults.
 
You can make a difference in an African child's life for just €18 per month.
 
If you are interested in the Mt Everest Primary School, Kitandwe Child Sponsorship Programme please email your contact details to info@everest2008.ie
 
“We would like to acknowledge the huge support we have received for this project over the last 18 months” said Taylor, “and offer our sincere thanks for the continued support for this inspiring initiative.”