As we look forward to next week's WATER WALK, helping families in Ethiopia have access to clean water, here is a recap of Jack and Ben's adventure in Ethiopia earlier this year. The story has been featured in today's Western Daily Press!
Children from Bristol became teachers for a day when they visited schools in Ethiopia and took classes of hundreds.
Jack and Ben Underhill, from Fishponds, taught children in two Ethiopian schools about being British – and told them what it is like to be a child in Bristol.The brothers, who go to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, went to Addis Alem with Bristol-based charity For-Ethiopia.
Before they went they filmed school life with their friends so they could show children in Ethiopia what a British school was like.
Jack, 10, said: “It was nerve wrecking to stand up in front of the class. We showed our film to classes of around 150 people. The kids there are different. Everyone is friendly and smiley. If we get a visitor at our school we don’t really react, but they were really happy to see us and it made me happy.”
St Joseph’s School has helped raise money for Hawiboru School, and Efra Beri School through a range of methods, from sky diving to designing and selling Christmas cards. Their money has been used to build wells for the schools, and pumps to bring the water up.
Jack said: "It felt good to see something we'd done to help them."
Matt Condon, head teacher at St Joseph's, said: "There was an opprortunity to do something meaningful and significant with the community in Ethiopia. The fact that two children from our school have gone there makes it 10 times more real for our pupils. We want to make a difference, but we also want to improve our understanding of life there."
Jack added that he and his brother had not only been the teachers but had learned about life for children in Ethiopia. He said: “It’s very hard for them. They get up early in the morning and work before they go to school. They have to walk and walk to get water for their families, and then walk to school. Then afterwards they have to help their parents. They have to make several journeys just for a bath. And the river where they go has crocodiles.“They were so smiley to see someone who they hope can help them. I wouldn’t want to live like they do.”
Ben, eight, said: “People there are either really really rich or really really poor. People live in either big houses or dumps. When people come back from school here they can have some crisps and watch TV and if one day they can’t do that they get cross and think they’re really unlucky, but they’re not. The oldest children in Ethiopia have to look after the younger ones every day.”
Their mum Alison Underhill, who also went with them, said: “It was a life-changing experience. It’s amazing to see what money can do out there. You see how much we have and how little they have and yet they seem more content.”
A spokesperson for For-Ethiopia said: "Getting the school and so many children involved in helping pupils in Ethiopia is wonderful. For-Ethiopia is working really hard to improve sanitation and water access throughout Addis Alem and to have the support of so many people from Bristol is a real boost to us."
For more information visit www.for-ethiopia.com
COME AND JOIN US NEXT THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR WATER WALK 2010!
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