African event sheds light on poverty

AN AFRICAN adventure was had in Thornbury last month.

On Tuesday, October 21an audience of about 50 people were fascinated by presentations given by three speakers - arranged by the Thornbury and District Make Poverty History Group.

The event was part of this year's One World Week - a charity that encourages increased understanding of different cultures from around the world.

The first speaker, Gill Leaper described the many projects that her daughter Alice has set up in Malawi under the name of Butterfly Space; projects to help nursery aged children, teaching older students and providing bedding for elderly people.

Tom Wong, 16 and supported by his family, gave a professional presentation on the Castle Schools summer trip to Tanzania. This involved a community project to build a Toilet block.

The third presentation was given by Derek and Sally Quilter who enthusiastically reported on the involvement of their family in a project in Tanzania.

The project involves working with men and women suffering from Leprosy and the young children living with them. They help the lepers by befriending them and by building much needed facilities and providing suitable equipment for those who had lost limbs.

Each speaker emphasised that life is very different from life in Thornbury. Electricity in African villages is intermittent or non-existent.

The speakers were supported by stalls ranging from the demonstration of low energy light bulbs on the Sustainable Thornbury stall to the selling of Traidcraft Fairtrade food and learning about ethical investment with Shared Interest.

Other stalls were selling East African handmade beads brought back by South Gloucestershire people visiting African link projects.

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African event sheds light on poverty