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The Citizen, 2015-07-16, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015. PAGE 9. South Africa benefits from surplus school supplies This week, as you go about your activities and enjoy the summer weather, puzzle on the word ‘curfew’ and its origins. Watch this space next week for an answer. Candice De Jong, who had been living in the little house on Main Street that had been home to several Bergsmas, and before that the home of Laura Lyon, is being married shortly and now resides in Blyth. Congratulations, Candice, and best wishes for the future. Now that house is home to Justin Dickinson and Meagan Lauzon. We are pleased to welcome them to the village and trust they will enjoy life here. Residents will be aware that for some time now the former home of Pianovations in Londesborough had been sold. The new owner has plans to renovate the building, but currently the apartment the girls lived in is home to Tim Varey and Michelle Cain. Tim’s son, Zackary, lives there as well. Welcome to the village. Lianne Hoogenboom of Pianovations and Alicia Burton have purchased the former Saundercock house across from the school. You may recognize Alicia from picking up your mail as she works for Radford’s. Some work on pianos is still being done in the back of the original store. Ron Kassies and Irene are in the process of moving from the Lear house into their new abode at the edge of Londesborough to the west. By the time you read this week’s paper Morag Watt will have been nearly two weeks in her summer location, Clanwilliam, South Africa. We trust you have enjoyed reading her accounts of that country. I certainly have! Morag first travelled to South Africa for a three-week vacation with her mother-in-law. She fell in love with the country and its people and this is her fourth return visit. She leaves immediately after her duties at Hullett Central Public School are finished for the year and returns on the Labour Day weekend. Along with family accommodations, Morag has made many friends with whom she visits each summer. Incidentally it is winter in South Africa and consequently she spends time in the schools in that country. My understanding is she takes items with her to donate to those poorly- equipped schools. Over the 10 months of the school year here in Canada as secretary at Hullett and before that at Blyth Public School, through her contacts with the schools of the Avon Maitland District School Board, Morag does her own quiet catering fundraising. All the monies raised through her efforts is donated to the Clanwilliam Hospital where she also volunteers. Obviously South Africa has a special appeal for I have learned that Grand Bend Rotarian, Peter Twynstra, who knows the country through his career in the bean industry has been instrumental in that club’s Global Literacy Project. Regular readers of this space may remember that several years ago I made a comment regarding the shipping of school supplies overseas. My comment questioned how these items could be useful to others if our own schools were rejecting them. Since then and through my conversations with Mrs. Watt I’ve learned so much. When schools close because of declining enrolment the boards have surplus supplies of many types. Canadian standards are much more regulated than those of poorer countries like South Africa. When a school has new books, those that are outdated here are still great material for new readers. If a school has no teaching aids or even enough desks, our rejects are welcome. Education is so desired in the rural areas of South Africa that teachers and children alike are enthusiastic about schooling. Returning home after conducting a tour of South Africa, Peter was encouraged by the tour participants to find some way to get our surplus items to that country. Thus began the Global Literacy Project initiated by the Grand Bend Rotary Club. The project has had its share of logistical problems along the way. The first of which was convincing the Avon Maitland District School Board to be a partner. Now school boards and Rotary Clubs from Sarnia to Alliston have participated. Supplies are loaded in freight containers by local clubs and volunteers. Morag is one of those volunteers. Each container costs $5,500 to ship from a Canadian port to the African port of Middleburg. Transport in Canada to port is assisted by Hensall Global Logistics. The Rotary Club of Middleburg deals with the land costs in that country. African Rotarian, Charles Deiner, and his club distribute and track the supplies to the various schools. Each container contains supplies in excess of $100,000. Approximately 50 containers of supplies have made their way to South Africa since the spring of 2009. The project has had a few offshoots as well. Now the containers sometimes hold medical supplies, sports equipment, school uniforms and musical instruments. Recently volunteers at Ontario Christian Gleaners have found a way to make dehydrated soup mixes at their Cambridge plant from excess produce. This provides much needed nourishment at noon for children who walk up to 10 miles a day to attend classes. All these supplies are donated! This project’s scope reinforces the fact that we are now a global community. And all from small beginnings in Huron County. Everyone wins through this project - the African kids get an enhanced education, the school boards reduce the cost of disposing of these unneeded supplies and the taxpayer has saved landfill costs. It is hoped other school boards and clubs across Ontario will recognize the benefits of the project and come on board. For more information about this project, look up the Rotary Club of Grand Bend online. Perhaps you can find a way to help. And, of course, you could talk with Morag Watt come fall. BIG July 17-18, 2015 Admission: Donation to Ronald McDonald House 20th Anniversary Celebration Food Bo o t h Guess the weight of the tire Pettin g Z o o Pit Stop Challeng e Bouncy Castle Helicopter Rides Bigfoot In Action Car Crushing Shows 3 p.m. Friday & Saturday Door Prizes PHOTO OF THE DAY Let us know what is happening in your area by emailing a picture for possible inclusion on our website’s “Picture of the Day”. Please include a small caption about the picture. Visit our website at northhuron.on.ca - maybe your picture will be the PHOTO OF THE DAY! Email submissions to: reporter@northhuron.on.ca Wants to Hear from You! The CitizenThe Citizen Wants to Hear from You! By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296 PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO NEWS FROM LONDESBORO Mayor’s Mingle Central Huron council head Jim Ginn hosted the third annual Mayor’s Mingle on Tuesday night last week. The event featured snacks and drinks and a chance for people to get to know their township and their neighbours. Shown above is Ginn making his opening statements at the event which was held at the Central Huron Community Complex. (Denny Scott photo) 519-523-474240356 Londesboro Rd.