Monday 19 February 2007 - 14.00 hrs
They may be worlds apart but Avon’s Deputy Fire Chief has
brought youngsters from a North Somerset primary a little closer to
their counterparts at a twin school in West Africa.
Jerry O’Brien, Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Avon Fire &
Rescue Service, paid a visit to Sandford Primary School to drop off
gifts he had brought back after a recent visit to Albion Lower
Basic School in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia.
During a special assembly Jerry presented children with the
framed lyrics of the African school’s song, a carved wooden plaque
celebrating the school’s partnership and a traditional Gambian
shirt, all of which he was given during a two-week visit to the
country.
Jerry, who lives at Winscombe, managed to visit Sandford’s twin
school while on a gruelling fundraising trip for charity during
which he ran, canoed and cycled the length of The Gambia.
He was out there to raise money and awareness for Gambia and
Avon Fire Services in Partnership (GAFSIP), the charity responsible
for building one of the most professional fire and rescue services
in Africa.
For the last 16 years vehicles and equipment that has reached
the end of its service life in Avon has been shipped out to The
Gambia. The charity’s continued work has built the Gambian Fire and
Ambulance Service almost from scratch, to a point today where it
employs 1,000 firefighters at 12 stations.
On his adventure in the country Jerry visited every single fire
station, as well as clinics, schools and other projects that GAFSIP
supports. One of his stops was at the Albion Lower Basic School
where children use furniture and equipment provided by the
charity.
A their recent assembly youngsters at Sandford School listened
as Jerry recounted tales from his adventure and told how conditions
differed at the two twinned schools. He explained: “It was so nice
to hand over the gifts from the Albion Lower Basic School, but I
think it was also important that the children at Sandford heard how
their lives differ from the youngsters out there. Things like
having heating in the school, glass in the windows, shoes on their
feet and pencils to write with are sort of luxuries that we take
for granted here, but that’s not the case in The Gambia.”
Ends