Page 48 - link magazine

44 Have you seen the new look www.swindonlink.com ?

Non-uniform day clothes an entire school in Ghana
Children at Freshbrook Primary School were moved to tears earlier in the year on hearing about the extreme poverty of pupils in a Ghanaian
school and immediately wanted to help in some way.
And thanks to their generosity, like us," said George Iles, who is in 'school' was a tin roof ;.
every child at the Abura Literacy Year 3. "It costs 2p for some rice over a corner of a Its-
School where teacher Alison Stone and some children don't have it." public square, and Ar ^' :
had gone to work for two months On her arrival at Abura, Alison was used as a drink- ,^
was given a new uniform. found the headmaster teaching all ing den at night. ` 3'
Headteacher Jan Milsom said sixty a ils, a ed from 2 to 14. The Every morning the
shehadreadane-mailfrom Alison older girls had to ' t =
in an assembly. "It was terribly sweep the floor, risk- i .:
moving where Alison graphically ing cuts to their bare
described how children had only feet, before lessons ^, 1
rags to wear and very often went began.
without food; I knew our children "I didn't realise
would want to do something." how bad it would
Year 6 pupil Hannah Adams be," said Alison, who
said, "we were really sad to hear immediately set Alison Stone with four of the Freshhrook children
et
zeho helped with the l ig fundraising effort
about the children Ms Stone was about organising a
teaching. The conditions sounded '`'' timetable and structure. "I wanted Alison organised a party for the
really bad, when we enjoy so l to do more and I wrote to Jan ex- children when they were all given
much." plaining that the children had ab- brand new clothes, although it took
"They don't have hot dinners solutely nothing." a while for everyone to realise that
The Freshbrook School Council they could keep them. "I can't de-
An Ahura pupil in her new uniform and voted for a'dressing down to dress scribe their faces; they were skip-
with something to eat
up' day and raised £300. This was ping and running around scream-
See more pictures taken by Alison
twice the amount needed to pay ing; they were thrilled. They knew
at www.swindonlink.com
for uniforms for all sixty children they were from my children in
at Abura. As youngsters would Swindon."
regularly fall asleep at their desks The link with Abura will con-
D.A. DRIVEWAYS & PATIOS LTD because of the midday heat, the tinue at Millbrook which has re-
71 Block Paving 71 Landscaping d Fencing remaining money was spent on placed Freshbrook and Ms Stone
mattresses for nap times. hopes to go back next year.
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