With hopes of helping the needy families of Benguerra Island, just off the coast of Mozambique, Algarve residents Judy and Simon Clayton from Dunas Lifestyle in Quinta do Lago are appealing for support from fellow Algarveans, following a trip they made to the island last October.
The country is still recovering from years of violent civil war, after independence from Portugal in 1975, while the island, home to approximately 1,700 people, has no sanitation, running water, tarmac roads or concrete buildings.
To help the children of the island, in 2010 a new school was constructed with the help of Azura Resort, the hotel that Judy and Simon stayed in during their trip.
The school consists of two classrooms and accommodation large enough for two teachers, who have come from the mainland.
The aim is to teach the children to read, write and speak Portuguese, all things necessary for them to find work off the island.
All children are keen to learn, but due to the lack of writing materials and books, plus funding to purchase any further supplies, conditions are not suitable and education is key to getting these children a better life.
In attempts to help, Judy and Simon are collecting useful things here in the Algarve, that do not have to be new, to help the children and school, which will be sent via Dunas Lifestyle in Quinta Shopping to the island.
Much needed items include pencils, pens, books, crayons, rulers, shoes, t-shirts, shorts, balls, exercise books and Portuguese/English dictionaries.
The two also hope to establish connections between international schools here in the Algarve and the Benguerra Island school, enabling them to write to each other.
For further information, please contact [email protected] or see www.dunas-style.blogspot.com.
