by Robert Lloyd
Members of Llanelli Rotary Club have enjoyed taking part in the Mary’s Meals backpack appeal. The club members and friends collected 59 backpacks to send to needy children in Africa.
Project coordinator Alison Evans said she was delighted with the response.
“We have had great fun building bridges with local schools to get response for the backpack appeal.
“This is the first time we (as a club) have attempted anything like this and we are very grateful to the public for their response.
“We know the backpacks are going to be put to good use in Africa,
“Having seen some of the feedback videos from the delivery of the backpacks, I can say it is a wonderful donation. The joy on the faces of the children is incredible!”
Llanelli Rotary Club President Hywel Bassett said: “We are a very active group of Rotarians who believe firmly in the Rotary motto of ‘service above self’.
“We have a number of community projects which are based locally but it is also challenging to get involved in projects outside of our area, projects like the backpack appeal which see us getting involved in helping needy children in Africa.
“Rotary members and their friends always respond enthusiastically to our appeals and I am very grateful to everyone who has helped organise the backpack appeal and worked so hard to ensure that it is a success story for Llanelli Rotary Club.”
Project organiser Alison Evans said; “Recognition should be given to Five Roads School, Soroptimists International (Llanelli) and two churches in Llanelli and private donors.
“The courier service collected six large white sacks from Llanelli Rotary Club for onward shipment to Mary’s Meals.
“Rotarian Elfyn Davies was particularly successful with donations from Five Roads School and St. John Lloyd School provided donations that will be included in the next shipment to Glasgow and for further transport to the Mary’s Meals team sending backpacks to Africa.”
The Llanelli Rotary Club Backpack Project:
The Backpack Project is being organised by the Mary’s Meals charity.
It appeals to schools, clubs, businesses, churches and individuals to fill backpacks with basic educational materials to send to children receiving Mary’s Meals.
Most of the children who benefit from Mary’s Meals and the Backpack Project have suffered war, poverty, famine, or natural disaster.
Very often families cannot afford to buy basic things like pencils and copy books, or even suitable clothes for their children to wear to school. And so their children miss out on school and an education.
A simple backpack with educational materials can be a lifeline to these children as studies show that an education is the best way a chronically poor child can escape poverty in later life.
The Llanelli Rotary Club Backpack Appeal is being organised by Llanelli Rotarians led by Alison Evans.
She said: “We are at that end-of-term time of year when children look to renew their backpacks as they move up a class or to a new school.
“We are just asking children and parents to think about making use of their old backpacks.
“There is a sophisticated transport system in place to ensure the backpacks get to needy children in Africa.”
If you can help, email backpackllanellirc@gmail.com
Or call Llanelli Rotary Club on our dedicated hotline number – 07935 305968
Weblink – http://www.marysmeals.org.uk/what-you-can-do/backpack-project/
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