Working with PLAN UK
Travel Counsellors the Award winning company works with Plan UK in order to improve the standard of education for children in poverty stricken countries, helping them to realise their full potential and build a safe, healthy environment for them and their families. Travel Counsellors has funded a project to repair and extend a primary school in the Ndere Village, Kenya and donated £200,000 to an educational project that aims to link thousands of school children around the world.
Travel Counsellors founder and chairman David Speakman has recently returned from a visit to Kenya with representatives from PLAN UK. During his visit David visited Barkogonga Primary School which, in October 2005, had its roof destroyed by a cyclone. The company paid for the repairs and improvements to the school by constructing new classrooms with safer structures and ventilation. This has created a more spacious and sustainable learning environment for the pupils.
“Seeing the difference we have made first hand was an amazing experience,” say David. “These children deserve a better standard of education and this project has improved the lives of the 307 children and their parents living in the village, and will benefit future generations living there too.”
David also visited a number of schools taking part in the educational linking project developed by Plan UK, which has been awarded £200,000 of funds from Travel Counsellors PLC. The scheme aims to link 2000 schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the UK over the next five years. It encourages children in the UK to examine their roles as global citizens, international issues such as education and poverty and how these subjects relate to their lives and the lives of children in developing nations.
The company has also donated a further £20,000 to the project to enable five schools to develop resource centres with computer equipment and digital cameras so that schools can link electronically. These schools can also teach their pupils computer skills and raise money to run the resource centres through selling the facilities to the local community members.
David adds; “We have been working closely with PLAN UK on several initiatives to improve the lives of children in the country. However after recent events it is even more essential that we help as much as we can and it is at times like these that I feel we can all really make a difference. We will continue to keep in close contact with the charity and work with them to improve the current situation. We are proud as a company and as a family of Travel Counsellors to be able to help“.