Dunhurst‘s Fundraising Efforts Support School in Nicaragua
About Bedales
Dunhurst‘s Fundraising Efforts Support School in Nicaragua
15/03/2011
Pupils from Bedales Junior School, Dunhurst, received a visit from Martina Gruppo following her trip to Nicaragua where she is helping out on a project to improve education for children from coffee farming communities. Martina, who is the founder of locally based ethical Coffee Fairy business, supports the fair trade of coffee from Nicaragua and takes an active role in the community by improving the facilities of their local school.
Dunhurst pupils have been actively fundraising to support Martina’s work for Esquela Vincente Talavera School and took the opportunity to present Martina with a cheque for money raised as a result of PE Teacher Ryan Walsh’s Great South Run Challenge, which totalled over £900. The money will help buy more materials for the project such as solar panels and windows. Other pupils including Cameron Cross have been actively raising money through recycling mobile phones and ink cartridges.
To date Dunhurst parents and pupils have raised funds of up to £10,000 and Martina provided an update on how this money has helped the Nicaraguan school with the construction of a new school building. Pupils also watched a video of Marlon, a Miraflor villager, thanking them for their efforts and saw photos of the building work in progress.
The children were also delighted to hear that the Nicaraguan Government have recently granted the Talavera school secondary school status, which means 200 pupils will now be able to further their education, including adults, from this remote mountain community.
Commenting on Martina’s visit, Penny Watkins, Head of Dunhurst said: “The children were very excited to hear the latest news from Martina and to be able to see how the money they have all worked so hard to raise has been spent to help the lives of the children in Nicaragua. It really is a wonderful initiative and we are very glad to help.”
