Kids raise $5000 for African pupils

by PETER GRACE
A school in Africa received $5000 boost as a result of a market day at Marist Catholic Primary School, in Mt Albert.

The support of Mulemi Community School in Zambia has the personal touch. Leanne Cameron and Matthew Pritchard have children at the Mt Albert school and they and their three children, Louis, Fenn and Nina, have since hand delivered
the money to the Zambian school.
Ms Cameron at one stage worked as a doctor in neighbouring Botswana and saw the need for more education options. Children had to walk up to 10 kilometres to get to school, she said.
The family was involved in fundraising to build the school.
Construction began in 2007, and four more classrooms and staff accommodation has to be built before the school can get government funding. The $5000 will probably be enough to build one classroom.
Learning and teaching development leader Vicky Gorst-Smith told NZ Catholic that the Marist school pupils planned, designed products, and got things to sell for the September 18 Mission Market Day. All classes were involved.
The day raised $7360.50, with $5000 given to the Cameron-Pritchard family for the Mulemi Community School.
The rest was divided between the school’s World Vision sponsor child and Pastoral Care.