Links with Kenya
In 2005 Beacon Hill and Burnside College,made links with a secondary school in the village of Gorgor in Kenya,this was through a Creative Partnerships project. During the visit to Kenya there was an opportunity to visit a nearby school and home for children with disabilities in a local town called Ndanai. Staff and pupils from Kenya,Beacon Hill and Burnside have been involved in a number of exchanges developing the links with the two schools and extending them to the Wallsend cluster of Primary Schools and the Primary school in Gorgor and Ndanai. This has enabled the partnership to continue over time with the involvement of a wider group of staff sharing and strengthening the experience. The visit of the Kenyan teachers and pupils here meant that pupils from Beacon Hill could build on their understanding of people from different parts of the world.
Students and teachers from Gorgor on a visit in 2006
A number of fund raising activities and the idea of sending “Treasure Tins” with items for individual children in Kenya focused the BH pupils on helping others. A game of “bare foot football” was held to increase their understanding of the lives of others.
In November 10 two members of staff from Beacon Hill and two from Burnside went to Kenya. Last year we also sent a container with equipment and gifts for Ndanai and Gorgor which arrived after 7 months!
The container arriving
Opening the boxes
Marie Rooney from Beacon Hill and Staff and pupils from Burnside went again to Kenya in June 11. Money has been raised to buy beds and bedding for the small home in Ndani.