The
Unity Flight: Mthatha - Community #6
Dear Friend,
After East London, the inaugural UNITY FLIGHT OF SOUTH AFRICA of British
Pilot Robert Vallier's Ufosa
Foundation moved on to Community # 6, Mthatha. The plane was
grounded in East London by bad weather, and so Robert and the Team had to
travel there by road.
Although a Saturday, children of the Fairfield Junior
Secondary School turned out en mass to greet Robert and the Team,
and gave them a tremendous welcome!
Cheering and clapping, the children of
the Fairfield Junior Secondary School greet Robert, who because of the bad
weather had to travel by road in Ufosa 2, the
ground support vehicle.
Presented with some great pictures drawn by the children,
Robert had to tell them that, although a pilot, he sadly wasn't actually
flying around South Africa in a private Jumbo Jet...!
Some great pictures drawn by the
enthusiastic children of the School, who gave Robert and the Team such a
lively welcome.
But no-one minded... and he was
privileged to be treated to a dance and singing display prepared by the
staff and children of the School specially for the Ufosa visit...
Some girls of the School perform a dance
specially for Robert Vallier and the Ufosa Team, with support from some of
the Staff and the whole school looking on.
Robert was then asked to address the staff and children in
assembly, before taking a tour of the School. Never at a loss for
words he picked up the microphone and launched into an impromptu few
words.
Robert Vallier
addresses the assembly of the Fairfield Junior Secondary School, and draws
some laughter and smiles from the children, and from Principal Mrs Mbuku
(in blue, centre) and her Deputy Head Teacher (in white, to Robert's
left).
This is a particularly underprivileged School. The
children do not have proper sanitation and hygiene at the School; the Team
were astonished to see the state of the toilets that the children have to
use daily.
Open non-flushing toilets that the
children of the Fairfield Junior Secondary School have to use. The
School has no running water.
Not only are the toilets communal and open and
non-flushing, but the School itself has had no water for 6 weeks, with
supplies' having to be brought in by truck. Ufosa plans to do
something about this.
Robert Vallier
discusses the lack of hygiene and proper facilities with the Deputy
Head. A well can be sunk to provide water, and there is an easy
drain-off route available. The toilet blocks are in the
background.
A large number of the parents of the Parent Teacher
organisation waited patiently to discuss the School with Robert and the
Team, and a clear picture of the overall needs of the School were soon
identified.
Over 50 parents and
teachers sit and listen to Robert's address to them (he is at the table,
right) and then discuss the School's needs with him
direct.
While infrastructure at the School is a major concern, the
parents were particularly delighted with and excited about the assistance
in education that the new Library would bring to their children.
Robert Vallier
presents the symbolic first book of the new Library to School Principal
Mrs Mbuku. Ufosa Secretary Karen Mitchell, left, takes a breather
from writing copious notes.
At the conclusion of the School visit, Robert Vallier met
up with Julie Davis, Manager of the Hospice Association of
Transkei. After a brief discussion about the Hospice and its
work, Julie took Robert and the
Robert Vallier looks on and listens with Ufosa Secretary
Karen Mitchell to Julie Davis, Manager of the Hospice Association of
Transkei.
Team on a tour of one of the local townships where
they do much of their good work. Their patients and the
terminally ill are usually either AIDS or cancer affected.
Antiretroviral [ARV] drugs are having
The house of one of the patients cared for by the
Hospice.
a profound positive effect on AIDS patients but are hard
to get. The Hospice has 23 staff of which 17 are caregivers, who
receive an allowance as opposed to a salary - basically they are skilled
voluntary workers.
Robert Vallier with an AIDS patient (Left) and two
members of the Hospice Association of
Transkei.
After accepting the Fairfield Junior Secondary School and
the Hospice Association of Transkei into the Ufosa programme, Robert and
the Team left for the long drive back to East London to the Hotel there
for their second night, and hoped for better weather the following day for
the flight to the next Community - Durban.
The Ufosa Foundation's inaugural UNITY FLIGHT OF SOUTH AFRICA launched on 1
October. Our National charity is reaching out to 30 communities
throughout South Africa, with an initial 5-year schedule to bring help in
Education, Family Wellbeing and Health. The Flight is in 2 Phases:
Phase 1 comprising the first 15 Communities was completed in October. Phase 2
(Communities 16-30) is set for April next year.
Our website can be found at:
www.ufosafoundation.org.
Next news on Durban follows very shortly.
Regards,
Admin
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