Disabled children denied an education in South East Uganda have been given a £30,000 boost thanks to the individual contribution of one woman to Rotary.
Yvonne Smith, who vehemently believes that helping children should be a priority, made the staggering donation to the Rotary Club of Shepshed Charnwood on Tuesday 24 February.
The money is for ‘School for All in Africa’, an inclusive education programme run in partnership between Leonard Cheshire Disability and Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland that will give 1,000 disabled children the chance to go to primary school in the Mukono and Budaka districts of South East Uganda.
As part of School for All in Africa, 20 schools will be adapted to make them physically accessible for the children. As teachers in Uganda typically have no experience of working with children with disabilities, 80 teachers will be trained in inclusive education. They will learn how to teach children with different needs, as inclusive education focuses on children who have traditionally been excluded from school.
Such work is essential as The United Nations estimates that over 90% of children with a disability in Africa do not go to school.
Speaking of the donation Yvonne Smith said: “I have always wanted to give a substantial amount of money to a charity to help children in the developing world. I had not done so before as I didn’t want the money to be siphoned by corrupt governments.
“I started to save this money almost 40 years ago and I made the decision to support School for All in Africa as my husband David was a member of the Shepshed Charnwood Rotary Club before our relocation to Chester. I know by giving the money to Rotary and Leonard Cheshire Disability it is not subject to misuse and will be used to make a difference to the lives of the children.”
Alan Clarke, of the Rotary Club of Shepshed Charnwood, said: “ We would like to thank Yvonne for her incredibly generous donation of £30,000. She has spent her career as a nurse helping others and with this donation she is helping to change the lives of children who have been excluded from their school and community.”
Robin Haslam, National Community Fundraising Development Manager at Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: “The work of School for All in Africa is vital as it is widely recognised that access to education in developing countries is key to beating poverty. A continued exclusion from educational opportunities means that disabled children can become trapped in a cycle of poverty that they are powerless to escape.
“Staff in Uganda will work to change negative attitudes towards disabled people and to dispel misconceptions. Until families, schools and the wider community recognise the value of educating a disabled child their development will continue to be neglected.”
To find out more about School for All in Africa visit: www.school4all.org.uk or
www.rotary-ribi.org
Photo: Yvonne Smith (third right) is pictured presenting the cheque to Leanne Nicholson, area fundraiser for Leonard Cheshire Disability. Pictured with them l-r are Roger McDermott Rotary district governor nominee, David Smith member of Rotary Club of Shepshed Charnwood, Peter Hickling president of Rotary Club of Shepshed Charnwood and Peter Kingdon and Alan Clarke also from Rotary.
10/03/09
