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Banbury Rotarian raises over a third-of-a-million pounds to build classrooms in Sierra Leone
10/08/2022
A life changing visit in 2005 gave Alan Wolstencroft a totally different outlook on life
Over a third of a million pounds has been raised here in North Oxfordshire to help educate some of the poorest children in the world, in Sierra Leone. Its all thanks to a member of Banbury Rotary Club and a life changing visit he made to the country back in 2005.
Alan Wolstencroft was invited on a trip that was described as “spending 11 days in the country making a real difference”. He thought it would be a one-off experience, but he’s now visited 12 times.
During his first visit Alan witnessed youngsters being taught under the trees because the schools couldn’t afford classrooms.
Alan said: “I was just appalled. Although we see poverty on the TV week-in, week-out, ten minutes later you’re watching the football or doing the ironing and you forget about it.
“It was the sheer reality of seeing poverty first hand. I came back a different person, with a totally different outlook on life.”
When he got back to Banbury he raised some money to finish a building project that had been partially completed.
During his next visit Alan saw children being taught in the classroom he had helped to fund, but the headteacher told him they now needed to build more classrooms.
“You become a victim of your own success“, Alan said. “As soon as they’ve got decent facilities more kids want to go to the school. Every time you think you have crossed the finish line they say ‘we could do with another two classrooms’!”
Building work in Sierra Leone is far cheaper than in the UK. For a £10,000 project Alan estimates only £1,000 will be for labour, with local people earning far less than their UK counterparts, but still at a decent level for Sierra Leone.
Since that first visit Alan has raised around £340,000 which has helped build 39 classrooms and other school facilities. Each classroom provides a learning environment for between 35 and 50 children. 21 of the classrooms include water harvesting systems and 9 have electricity.
Other facilities include 9 toilet blocks, 6 of which have water harvesting systems and handwash stations. Funds have paid to sink 3 wells and refurbished another 3.
The project has also supported Momoh, a wheelchair-bound teenager. In 2021 when he and his carer were evicted from their dwelling funding was provided to build and furnish a small home for them, on a piece of land gifted by their local community.
Alan’s Africa project has been adopted as an approved project of Banbury Rotary Club.
Nigel Yeadon, President of Banbury Rotary Club, said: “Although this is a Club approved project, which the Club supports, Alan is the driving force behind everything that has been achieved and truly Alan is the Champion of the Alan’s Africa project”.
You can find out more here.
Listen to our interview with Alan here:
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam