Pontypridd High School students and staff are travelling to Uganda to help build a dormitory for the schoolgirls of impoverished Mbale.
The opportunity has come about through “Pont”, Rhondda Cynon Taf’s community to community link with the region of Uganda which began in 2000.
Since then the connection between the two areas of similar population, has strengthened with hundreds of volunteers undertaking visits to the African country to assist the area through sharing expertise and skills in a whole host of areas from finance and construction to health care and politics.
This summer the Pontypridd construction team of 18 members will again visit Mbale to help build an essential new facility for the girls of the Bubuto area.
At present the girls walk up to four hours a day to get to and from school and along this journey some are being attacked and sexually assaulted. Girls from further away have no access to a secondary education at all as a result.
The dormitory, which will accommodate over 100 girls will change their lives and protect them, as it will allow them to stay safely in the school and improve their education, reduce travel and maintain their health and safety.
A group of students from Bubuto visited Pontypridd in 2011 and shared their knowledge and information about their country with the young people of Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Head of Geography at Pontypridd High School, Sean Baldwin will lead the construction team. Joining him will be Deputy Headteacher Ken Phillips, Head of Construction Steve Jones and Lee Randell, a Construction Teacher. Lloyd Konten, a school technician will be part of the team along with two members of staff from Screw Fix and Persimmon Homes
The students also involved in the project are currently following courses in construction and include Antony Ramsey, Matthew Logan, Ashley Moses, Lloyd Davies and Sean Barlow. Sean Barlow was construction pupil of the year 2011 and is now a trainee Project Manager, employed by Persimmon Homes who are another sponsor of the project.
Mr Baldwin explained, “Talking to the girls in Bubutu can be a heart breaking experience! The daily hardships they endure to get the chance to receive an education are staggering.”
For further details visit: www.bubutu.org and www.pontypriddhighschool.co.uk
