Children learn the importance of a good breakfast

Friday 03 October 2014

Many of us start the day with a bowl of porridge but youngsters at some of the Island's primary schools are learning just how important the meal is for children in another part of the world.

It’s World Porridge Day and as children at Grouville and Mont Nicolle Primary Schools tuck in to some today they will be finding out that for some children living in Africa it's the only meal they get each day.

Staff from Standard Bank Jersey will explain to them what life is like for around 700 underprivileged boys and girls who go to Mifumi Primary School in Uganda.

Many of them have to walk miles to get an education and the Bank has been making sure they get at least one nutritious meal when they get there. Schoolchildren here will not only learn about the difference in their diets but also find out more about the African children's home and school life too.

Standard Bank’s Amelia Gourlay said: “As Africa’s largest bank, Standard Bank is committed to supporting the Mifumi Primary School in Uganda and enhancing the lives of the children there. As well as the fundraising initiatives we run which go towards improving the facilities at the school, the Bank is keen to forge links between Mifumi and local primary schools as a way to raise awareness of the child poverty in Uganda and across Africa. The children at Mifumi survive on one mug of porridge a day – World Porridge Day provides the perfect opportunity to highlight the differences in their daily lives to primary school children here in Jersey.”

Mrs Gourlay said she hopes it will help develop the children's understanding of the poverty across Africa at an early age.

Next week the children will get to speak to each other when the Bank sets up a Skype call to the school in Uganda which 12 years ago barely existed. There was just a thatched hut and most of the children were being taught under the shade of a tree. There were no facilities, few qualified and experienced staff, no electricity and no clean water.

Retired Jersey head teacher John Carnegie changed all that and with fundraising provided the children with new purpose built classrooms, better teaching facilities and a new Head Teacher and staff.

Standard Bank got involved with the school about a year ago and staff have been helping raise money ever since. Thanks to donations they've been able to ship out old school uniforms, shoes, books and toys and some of the Bank's staff are now visiting the school to see just what a difference their support is making to the lives of the children in this remote part of Africa.