Schools out for summer! Usk Primary School Pupils enjoyed their last day of term holding a non-uniform day in exchange of clothing donations for children in Kenya. The school also donated old reading books and spare exercise books and pencils.

The clothes will travel to Africa in the coming weeks to provide orphans and vulnerable children in the village of Uyoma in Western Kenya with clothes and supplies for their school. The village which has approximately 2,000 orphans the higher percentage of that being as a direct effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Msingi Wa Tumaini helps to support the orphans that attend Gagra Primary school.

Pupils at the school were lucky to have a special assembly with Grace. Grace talked to pupils about what life is like in Kenya and how their clothes will make such a difference. The pupils were enthused and penned letters to the children in Uyoma to share with them details of their lives.

Msingi Wa Tumaini charity was founded by Grace Bridgwater a Social Worker at Monmouthshire County Council. Grace is the youngest of 24 children and the only girl in her family who has been able to access University Education. Grace feels very passionately about the community she was brought up in and the education of children especially girls. Gagra primary a school that was founded by Grace’s father has 800 children three quarter of whom are Aids orphans. Of the 800 who attend the school, 500 are girls. The charity works to alleviate poverty through promoting education and child protection among girls and orphans in Uyoma.

Pupils Usk Primary attended a special assembly with Grace. Grace talked to pupils about what life is like in Kenya and how their clothes will make such a difference. The pupils were enthused and penned letters to the children in Uyoma to share with them details of their lives.

The children all helped to load up enough clothes for over 800 children. MCC provided the transport which Roger Hoggins volunteered to drive to the storage facility. Roger commented ‘it was great to take a couple of hours away from the desk to support such a fantastic cause’

Victoria Evans Head teacher of Usk Primary School said ‘We feel that it is so important to help our children understand about the world and understand how lucky we are in Monmouthshire. We have been overwhelmed by the amount of clothes that parents and pupils have brought into school. Thank you to all those who contributed’.

To find out more about the Msingi Wa Tumaini charity visit the website www.mwtumaini.org