Dear Wansteadium
We are 20 local Guides, and this August we will be travelling to Zambia and Malawi to volunteer with The Book Bus charity. Last year we told you about our volunteering adventure. Here is an update.
The Book Bus travels to schools in rural villages across Zambia and Malawi. Although children learn to read at school, classes can contain over 100 children so it is easy for those children that fall behind to go unnoticed. The Book Bus project works with small groups of children to ensure that all children receive the literacy support they need and the inspiration to read through games, drama and craft activities.
To give us experience of reading to children, we have been visiting local Brownie Units. We have been able to practice reading stories at the right pace, trying out different voices and ensuring that the Brownies understood the stories and found them interesting. We have come up with and tested out craft ideas and games which complement the stories. Working with the Brownies has been good fun and we have learnt which stories work best and which activities children are most enthusiastic about.
Fundraising for the trip has also kept us busy. At Christmas we spent two days bag packing at Waitrose in South Woodford. In February over 100 children came along to our Valentine’s Disco and enjoyed an
evening’s partying and dancing, as well as activities including face-painting, cake decorating, card-making,
mehndi and pink mocktails.
Our next fundraising event is a Barn Dance on Saturday 16 March at 7.30pm in St Gabriel’s Church Hall,
Park Road, Aldersbrook, E12 5 HG. We have a live band, Fiddle and Squeeze to accompany the dancing.
Tickets cost £10 in advance and £12 on the door and include a jacket potato bar. Bring your own booze,
glasses and nibbles. To buy tickets call or SMS 0777 44 65 000 or email africaBookBus@Gmail.com.
For more information about the Book Bus see www.thebookbus.org
Do you have a JustGiving page where people like myself can throw a tenner your way?