A QMS Family’s Trip to Africa
Story appeared in the 2014 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY DINA HOLBROOK, QMS Parent
On January 9th, 2013, our family began a life altering adventure to the continent of Africa with AFRETECH Aid Society. Afretech was founded in 1992 by Don and Bonnie Sutherland, two teachers, from Delta, British Columbia.
Gillian Duta makes a new friend.
Don and Bonnie's son, Jeff Sutherland and daughter-in-law, Dr. Sherri Han-cock, our close friends, asked us to join them on a “working vacation.” After much preparation and collecting of resources, we hit the ground running. After a few short weeks, we assisted in setting up school libraries, bringing school supplies to rural areas, maintaining computers, delivering medical supplies and working at a rural hospital and a Children's Home.
Sonje the elephant was adopted by the Duta Family in the name of the QMS Junior School.
In the Children’s Home, we were able to provide children with access to ongoing learning by providing library cards and backpacks full of school supplies, and other essentials.
The Multi-cultural Club at Queen Margaret’s School provided us with handmade dolls to deliver to the youngest child at the home. It was an amazing experience to see the joy of these poverty stricken children receive a doll of their very own.
Our biggest project was to fix the ventilation in the kitchen; the smoke from the cooking fire was so thick, you could not see through it. We knew this was a fire hazard. Six volunteers paid to have a new ceiling vent installed. We upgraded this project when we returned in January 2014 and installed a new heavy-duty ceiling vent. Now there is no more smoke! We also pro-vided the Children’s Home with hot and cold running water—an unheard of luxury.
During their trip to Africa, the Duta family spent time at African schools and orphanages to share the gift of knowledge.
Other projects included setting up two primary school libraries with$1,000.00 of suitable books written by African authors and adding resources to an Afretech High School Library. We sorted through several hundred boxes of books that were part of an Afretech shipment and directed boxes to various destinations, keeping 130 boxes for three schools we would be equipping. Each book was processed by hand with a borrower’s card, pockets and spines.
Next January, we will return to Kenya with Afretech to enhance and expand several small dispensaries to make health care accessible to people in rural areas of Laikipia County. This is a Langley Rotary initiative working in conjunction with Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Rotary World Help Network; Afretech, being on the ground will assist.
Thank you for all of the assistance the QMS Community has provided.