Isle of Man schoolchildren are to have the opportunity to talk via Skype to children in a remote school in Uganda. It’s hoped the phonecall will increase cross-cultural understanding and is being facilitated by 23 year old Joe Smith, from Standard Bank, IOM.
Joe, a Support Officer with Standard Bank, won a staff competition to visit the school which is sponsored by the bank, and will be going out there in October. He has launched an appeal for Islanders to donate school books, shoes, second hand clothes and sports equipment to take to the underprivileged children.
He is looking forward to his first visit to Africa, ‘Working for Standard Bank has meant I’ve developed an interest in Africa and made me question how we, as a bank, can best help the less fortunate with skills which will help them in their future lives. Here at home I have taken part in numerous programmes with a charity based company, Junior Achievement, which has developed a programme to educate young children with basic learning skills, so volunteering and children are close to my heart.’
Last year Standard Bank sent out three staff to assess how the money that is raised by staff and through the sponsorship, can best be used. ‘I know that they were surprised by the priorities,’ says Joe, ‘Most of the children didn’t have shoes and yet they walk miles to the school each day and so as soon as they returned the bank appealed for staff to donate shoes and hundreds of pairs were sent out in time for Christmas.’
During this year staff have also been raising money to purchase educational equipment through cake sales, raffles, a sponsored porridge fast, and the Football Fun Day in July.
Joe and a colleague from the Jersey Standard Bank office, will be going out to Uganda on 1st October. He is hoping that IOM companies and individuals will in the meantime donate items that can be taken out to the more than 700 children who attend Mifumi school. Shoprite have been one of the first companies to donate.
In the meantime, he is contacting schools to set up the Skype call which will give IOM children a rare opportunity to speak to their counterparts in Africa and see what life is like in a remote African village.
