Notts County Football in the Community are asking for donations of stationery to help disadvantaged youngsters in Africa...
Football in the Community has a history of working in impoverished communities, but over the last year we have been building a relationship with third world communities through our FC Africa project and our partnership with the International Service [IS] and Coaching for Hope.
In March, six students returned from Burkina Faso in West Africa, having completed three months of work at local schools and organizations. In July, two more students will head out to take their turn in helping to improve the lives of those they work with. Two volunteers from npower and two members of staff from Football in the Community will then be joining them at the end of July to assist on IS projects.
It may not seem like much, but the children in Burkina Faso have to work even harder to receive an education than most people can imagine. Only 40% of 15 to 24 year olds in Burkina Faso are literate (UNSECO). Schooling isn’t free and, therefore, children work extremely hard and even attend lessons they don’t have to go to. Classroom sizes are very large and some lessons have over 100 children crammed into a small room with just one teacher and very few resources.
Although our work with Coaching for Hope and the volunteers we send are already making a difference, we want to further support these children by donating school supplies, which are incredibly hard to come by and are extremely expensive for local schools to buy in Africa.
That’s why we need the help of people in Nottingham. We would like our Nottingham community to help theirs, by donating school supplies, however small. Even if it’s just a pack of pens or a pencil this will contribute to what we take to Burkina Faso.
We are hoping to take a suitcase packed full of hope with us in July. This will go directly to the schools. Some of the items we are looking to take may seem a little obscure, but these will go to provide an education to the local blind and disabled children. For example, tin foil to make statues, in place of clay and more expensive materials, such as clay.
It would mean a lot to us if you would help our campaign. Donations can be dropped off at the Notts County Club Shop or at the Football in the Community office next to the Ticket Office on Meadow Lane.
Anything you can give will be a massive help
Items most needed are
° Basic Pens
° Pencils
° Drawing books
° Colouring books
° Crayons
° Tin Foil
° Coloured Card
Other items to consider are
° Note books
° Erasers
° Rulers
° Pencil sharpeners
° Chalk
° Coloured Straws
° Stickers
° String
° PVA Glue
More information can be found on the FITC website www.nottscountyfitc.org.uk/donate or you can call our Media Officer on 0115 955 7215. The deadline for donations is 15th July.