Grant Thornton volunteers help build education centre in
Kenya
Grant Thornton volunteers helped to build an education centre in
Kenya as part of the firm's overseas volunteering project.
Last month six Grant Thornton volunteers spent two weeks on a
life changing trip to the small town of Naro Moru, in the foothills
of Mount Kenya. The volunteers assisted the local community with
their on-going building projects.
The Grant Thornton team was tasked with building an education
hall which will be used as an administrative and volunteering
centre. The volunteers were put to work digging soil to produce
bricks, making steel structures for the pillars, mixing cement and
buying much needed materials.
Bradley Neill, Brand Manager at Grant Thornton says; "One of the
biggest challenges we faced was the complete non-existence of any
electrical or modern tools, every single job was done by hand.
"It was very hard, back breaking work, but I would not have
changed it for the world. Our contribution to building the centre
will benefit generations to come."
Judith Crow, National Director of Research at Grant Thornton
says; "During the trip I was invited to the home of Rosemary, who
lives alone in poor conditions. It was sobering to see how
different her life is from my own. I would volunteer again without
a moment's hesitation, it was amazing to see the difference we
could make in two short weeks."
Margaret Bowler, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Grant
Thornton says; "Our annual overseas volunteering project is an
opportunity for staff to make a real difference to the lives of
those less fortunate and is a wonderful way to see and experience a
country and its culture."
Prior to the trip the team raised over £5,000 for the project,
part of this was spent on a tank to collect rainwater. The region
is regularly affected by drought so the locals will use it as
drinking water or for keeping seedlings alive.
The team also wanted to ensure the long term sustainability of
the project, so ordered a moulding machine which will allow the
community to make over 300 bricks a day. The bricks will be sold to
provide the project with an ongoing income.
"We have volunteers returning to Jaipur in November to continue
the work we began in that community in 2008. I know that volunteers
from the Kenya project also hope to return to the site in a few
years time," Bowler concludes.