Having Fun and Raising Money for Nyansakia Day

Author: Lorna Ockwell

Bourne Elsea Park and Bourne Abbey Church of England Primary Schools are proud to share their news of yet another fantastic day dedicated to raising funds for a vital cause – building a kitchen for special needs children in a school in Nyansakia, Kenya. The events are brought together by students, staff, and our local community friends from the ‘Friends of Nyansakia’ charity in a spirited effort to support children’s rights and ensure a better future for all.

As proud UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools, the Abbey Academies Trust is committed to promoting the rights of children globally. This charity day aligns perfectly with our mission, emphasizing the importance of access to clean water, nutritious food, quality education, and the rights of children with disabilities amongst many other UNCRC Articles.

The funds raised during Charity Day will go directly towards constructing a kitchen at the Nyansakia school, ensuring that special needs children receive nutritious meals daily. This initiative not only supports their right to good food but also enhances their overall educational experience by fostering a conducive learning environment.

To begin the day, various members of the Friends of Nyansakia charity were welcomed to our special Collective Worships, dedicated to sharing the most up-to-date information about how the money raised was impacting on the lives of the children we are supporting. The children, looking stunning dressed in the colours of the Kenyan flag, red, green and black, were so excited to see photos of the new kitchen being built, the clean water being pumped from the new tank, one of the new cows being milked and the school children eating a substantial meal of home grown maize. Together, they sang their new favourite song from Kenya, Jambo Bwana, enjoying the cultural experience of singing in Swahili! During this celebration, we were extremely grateful to receive a stunning gift, crafted by the children of the school in Nyansakia, of a fantastic, beaded basket, filled to brim with bead necklaces and key rings. After this, the day was spent with individual classes enjoying a variety of African themed activities. There was everything from mask and African necklace making to dancing, art galleries, Tinga Tinga storytelling and fruit kebabs – everyone played a part. Of course, the highlight of the fundraising was the Enterprise stalls however, led by the fantastic Year 6 team of students. The younger children could not wait to spend their money on all manner of stalls including glitter tattoos, facepainting, throw a beanbag at a picture of a teacher, lemonade stands, home baked goods, hair chalking, penalty shoot outs and an all manner of other games and refreshments. Year 6 teacher from Bourne Elsea Park was so proud of her students, saying, “The children had a brilliant time being Agents of Change and creating their enterprise stalls, they were amazed to find out how much money they had raised and the difference they’d been making”.

Miss Davey, Student Council and UNICEF Equality Ambassador’s coordinator of Bourne Elsea Park was inspired by the enthusiasm of all of the children throughout the day. She said, ‘This is one of our favourite fundraising events of the school year. We so strongly believe that every child, no matter where they are in the world, deserves the chance to thrive. By supporting the school in Nyansakia, we are helping to secure basic rights for these children – rights that every child deserves. Our students are excited to being Courageous Advocates, to show their Christian values of Compassion, Kindness and Thankfulness, to make a difference and learn valuable lessons about empathy and global citizenship.”

The event underscores the schools’ dedication to UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools program, which empowers young people to become active participants in their communities and advocates for children’s rights. By engaging in this initiative, the children are helping to ensure that children in Nyansakia have access to clean water, good food, education, and that those with disabilities have their rights protected and respected.