Surplus goods bring hope

Schoolchildren in Tanzania (top) went to school even though it was the holidays – to see furniture from Hull schools being unloaded (bottom).

A charity which transports surplus equipment from Hull schools to an impoverished community in Africa is appealing for donations of goods before its next shipment leaves next month.
The charity, Promise Ahadi, is looking for unwanted sports equipment, computers and sewing machines to take to the Hadzabe tribe in the Iramba area of Tanzania.
The charity sent a consignment of desks, chairs, textbooks and stationery from two Hull schools and spare televisions from the Guildhall late last year – much to the joy of the Hadzabe people.
"The reaction we received was fabulous," said Lynda Bowen, a Hull City Council officer who helps run the charity in her spare time.
"A village school was opened on a public holiday and 400 children turned out to welcome the arrival of goods from Hull. It also made the news in a Tanzanian newspaper."
Southcoates Primary School, in east Hull, donated desks and chairs and Bransholme's Winifred Holtby School contributed textbooks and stationery for last year's shipment.
Now more help is urgently needed, as the Hadzabe people have been hit by widespread flooding.
"There is great poverty in this part of Tanzania," added Lynda. "The people have had four years of drought, and then had severe floods in December 2006 which washed away bridges, rough tracks, topsoil and the newly planted crops.
"They have so little of what we take for granted, and children play football with scrunched-up rolls of paper, because they don't even have basic sports equipment."

To find out more or to make a donation, please call Lynda Bowen on 300300.