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Bedales Swaziland Project

Over the last three years, Bedales School has raised over £50,000 for the Swaziland Project in support of Mbalenhle Primary School. Our students and staff have worked with the Headteacher and local community to use these funds to repaint classrooms, build three new classrooms, build a sanitation block, install running water and electricity, build a perimeter fence and most recently, build a hostel for orphans. Image gallery

During February half-term 16 students and staff visited Swaziland to help build the hostel. They dug trenches for new water pipes, repaired old pipes, painted walls, as well as fetching and carrying water and sand to mix cement. Towards the end of their visit, government officials and journalists attended a ceremony to mark the occasion. The following report appeared in the press.

The Swazi Observer 22 February 2010

Plans for 2010 and beyond

• We are in the final stages of building a 24-bed hostel for orphans on the school premises, with staff quarters.
• Employment of a cook to ensure the children are fed regularly. While at school, the orphans receive one meal per day. They are left to find their own meals during weekends and school holidays.
• Assist the school in starting a free range poultry, cattle and vegetable farm so they will be self-sufficient at the end of the five-year project.

How you can help

Throughout this coming year, Bedales staff and students will be planning a range of activities to support this educational project. For example, a Silent Auction took place on 6 February, organised by Serena Brett and Hannah Keenan which raised a huge amount for the project (final figures will be published shortly). Well done to Serena and Hannah for all their hard work and to everyone else who contributed.

If you would like to make a donation to the Bedales Swaziland project, we have arranged a quick, secure and tax-efficient way to do this online via the Charity Choice website. This is a free service for charities; all funds go directly to the charity and Gift Aid is automatically collected. Please follow the link to make a donation. The total amount of your gift will be directed to the Swaziland project via Bedales Schools.

To purchase a specially designed Hessian shopping bag to support the school in Swaziland, email Michael Newman. The bags cost £5 and are made from fairly-traded cotton and jute.

Background

In 2007, Bedales adopted a dilapidated co-educational school in Swaziland with 350 students. The school had insufficient classrooms, no water, no electricity, a lack of school furniture and no toilets; many children did not have any shoes and 18 pupils were orphans.

What we achieved in 2008

• Three extra classrooms
• 100 desks and chairs
• Installed electricity
• A sanitation block with eight flushable toilets and four shower units
• Donated sports equipment and six used laptops
• Painted the school

What we  achieved in 2009

• Raised £11,000
• Installed an electric water pump so the school has running water
• Build a 1km perimeter fence
• Donated eight used laptops
• Donated a television, video, and various sports equipment

A team of staff and parents ran in the Great South Run (10 miles) on 25 October 2009 and raised over £3,000 for the Bedales Swaziland Project. Thanlk you for all the generous contributions.

We are delighted to report that the Greendale Foundation has recognised the importance of our work in Swaziland and made a donation of £12,000 to the Bedales Swaziland Project, for which we are extremely grateful.

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