Visit by Andy Beig (Volunteer) to Zambia Summer 2011.

Anwar (Andy) a volunteer for our Charity went to Zambia in the summer of 2011. It was a journey that took him back home to a place where he had grown up, went to school, learnt to ride a bike and share his meals with the less fortunate Africans that lived in his town.

Andy was surprised to see the progress that has been made in the time he had been away and although he has been back home before this was a different experience.

This was not to visit friends and family but rather to go out to remote villages and towns that still did not have proper schools, hospitals and access to water.

He was deeply touched by the way the children were hungry to learn, to educate themselves so that they could provide for their families. The widows, orphans and even those that had a physical disability did not just sit around waiting for hand outs.

On the contrary they worked in fields and farms often earning just enough to feed themselves and their families for a day.

The work that Andy was out there to do was to help exactly these kind of people and together with Gulam Patel (Trustee) and his son who are based in Zambia set out to carry out the charities aims with a renewed hunger and drive.

We are not alone in the work that we do, we work with the National Police Aid Convoys (NPAC) a charity that has been delivering aid to various countries since 1993. Please visit http://www.npac.org.uk/ to see the great work that they do.

The people that the Charity helps are not just individuals but also entire communities. We have raised and donated funds to dig water wells, provide water pumps, build schools, hospitals & supply stationary and other equipment necessary to provide an education to the children. The Charity provides funds to build the necessary buildings and The NPAC help with supplying the materials needed to furbish them. Additional funds are provided to schools to employ teachers and buy books.

We also build bridges between villages so that they do not have to travel a great distance to visit each other and this helps to reunite communities. We provide Bicycles for the chiefs of the village so that they can get around easier.

David Scott (Chairman) for the NPAC together with Mr Gulam Patel (Trustee) in conjunction with the health & education ministry of Zambia, have been tremendous in guiding us with the work that is required. With the help of the many volunteers that help out at The NPAC they have been instrumental in providing schools and hospitals with the basic essentials and much needed equipment to help the local communities.

Please look at the gallery of the photos taken by Andy on his visit, there are some that are heart-warming, others that make you realise just how much there is still needed.  Pay particular attention to the pictures of a library at a school and just take a moment to think how much more we can do for these wonderful children.

The library has been fully stocked by the books sourced and painstakingly gathered by the amazing volunteers who donate their precious time for The NPAC and without whom this would not have been possible.

We would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to the volunteers for all your hard work, dedication and continued support to make this work possible.

We would like to THANK YOU the public for you generous support by donating your unwanted items in our shops, clothing banks and for buying from the shops. Without your help the work that we do would not be possible.

Please continue to help and support us in way that you can and know that it does make a difference and it is always very much appreciated.