After almost four-years in partnership with Build Africa, Beds and Bars are proud to announce that the final and total amount raised in aid of the charity was £121,032.11.
The partnership was concluded after the objectives of building and launching a school in Minyalala, Kenya were accomplished – with a focus on early childhood development and a community outreach program – centred around savings and loans.
New classrooms, an eight-door latrine, hygiene facilities and extensive staff training were key focus areas in the targeted fundraising effort, across the Beds and Bars sites.
Funds were primarily raised from key card deposit donations across the St Christopher’s Inns and Flying Pig backpacker hostels, and were further supplemented by events in the company’s Belushi’s bars, and traditional pubs.
Travellers checking out of the Beds and Bars backpacker hostels were given the choice of dropping off their key card in a special check out box, therein waving their room key deposit in favour of Beds and Bars making a donation to Build Africa.
Build Africa combines learning and earning opportunities to offer children and their families long-term solutions to poverty, with a vision that every young person in Africa should be given the chance to fulfil their potential and make a difference.
By building and improving the Minyalala Primary School in the Machakos District of Kenya, attendance has risen, in addition to the number of children continuing on to secondary school.
The children here are now learning in a safe and secure environment, and by attending early childhood development classes, the youngest pupils have already received a quality education by the time they start Class 1. This not only assists in the transition to full primary school – it also increases the number of children likely to progress in school each year.
The school has also become an activity hub in addressing the key factors that stop pupils from continuing their education beyond primary school. Furthermore the parents now have a much greater understanding of child rights and protection, and are aware of how cultural and traditional practices might infringe on these. The teachers and pupils now take part in training on HIV and AIDS, and the Health Club at the school is very active.
Following the completion of the school, Beds and Bars will now be supporting the Team Margot Foundation – dedicated to encouraging people to register as stem cell donors as well as supporting people and projects, charities and research related, to bone marrow / stem cell transplants, blood disorders like Leukaemia.
