A group of employees from Toyota
Gibraltar Stockholdings (TGS) visited Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2006 in
order to give a course on 4x4 driving and maintenance to international
and local aid and charity organisations. The site where teh course was
held was close to Regent Primary School and TGS staff became friendly
with the staff and children at the school. The company donated books and
school materials just before they left for Gibraltar. On returning
home, TGS staff organised the collection and delivery of various items
to a school. The items were shipped inside 4x4 vehicles which were
destined for the Sierra Leone Red Cross and the local Red Cross staff
assisted in the delivery.
The school was in need of stationery and local Gibraltar
businesses donated a variety of goods. Apart from the donated items, the
group also purchased large quantities of crayons, pens, pencils, books
etc. and gathered other useful equipment which included a 37 inch TV, a
DVD player, an electricity generator, a scanner, a printer, sport
equipment and even a new computer!
The school is used as a feeding point for many needy
children in the area and the items sent also included a microwave and
many sets of plastic cutlery and plates. The group aims to continue to
support the school by shipping various items in vehicles and the long
term goal is to help refurbish the school and fundraising activities
will continue to support the donations and refurbishment.
During Christmas 2009, AKIN and a group of employees from
TGS were busy selling chocolate Santas and this helped raise
approximately £1500. Fund raising activities are continuiing during the
early part of 2010 in order to try and get the school refurbished before
the rainy season which will commence in May. The works will involve the
building of new toilet facilites, the installation of a new roof, new
celing, new windows, new doors and general maintenance to the electrics
and paintwork. We hope to have the refurbishment done during early April
2010 with the assistance of Medicos del Mundo, a Spanish NGO which is
working in Sierra Leone (www.medicosdelmundo.org).
AKIN is now supporting the schools refurbishment project
which aims to improve the sanitation and general health and well being
for the 450 students that attend the school. For further information,
please click to the Regent School Project, Sierra Leone
page.
Sierra
Leone Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone
