Let Us Shine

Paul Manley,

Darnley Primary School, Glasgow

Out of Scotland and Into Africa

With hair, charitably described as autumn sunset, and skin the colour of bleached snow, a trip to equatorial sub-Saharan Africa may be the last place you'd expect a Scotsman to volunteer to visit. But it wasn't the heat of the afternoon sun I remember most from my visit to Kpandai, it was the warmth of the reception.

During the Easter holidays, I travelled to the school to take out the new resources and train staff in the use of the teaching materials. On the journey to Kpandai, I was struck by the beauty and grandeur of the equatorial forest and its contrast with the simplicity of the mud brick houses and the distinctive ochre earth. I didn't intend on having fun or being a tourist; I was volunteering. But I couldn't help love every minute of the experience.

I arrived to a wonderful reception in Kpandai. The girls had prepared some songs to sing for me and I was captivated by their warmth and enthusiasm. Throughout the rest of the week I worked with the girls and staff in school during the day. In the evenings we ate together and then sang, danced and played games until dusk; my two left feet the cause of much hilarity amongst the girls.

The end of my time coincided with the end of term and I travelled out to the small villages with the girls to return them to their families. In Kpandai, I could see the educational benefits the pupils were getting from the school but it wasn't until they stood beside their siblings in their own villages that I could see the marked difference in their health. The short-term health benefits alone make the whole project worthwhile, and with the additional long-term investment in education, will make a real difference to local communities

"Volunteering in Kpandai with Let Us Shine was an incredibly rewarding experience and one I hope to repeat in the future."

If anyone would like more information about coming to visit please contact us on volunteer@letusshine.org

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Phone: +44 (0) 845 638 3225 Fax: +44 (0) 845 638 3228 Email: info@letusshine.org

My amazing journey to Kpandai began months before with a global citizenship project in my primary school in Glasgow. We had found out about the charity through one of the trustees and had wanted to do something specific to develop the school. We decided to help by collecting books and donations to create the Kpandai School Library. Through the generosity of parents, colleagues and pupils we raised enough to furnish the library and buy new text books, jotters and stationery.