SIMON Rumbles, strategic indirect buyer at Xaar has completed his second trip to Africa volunteering to help local schools in Nakuru, Kenya.
Organised by charity Derby County Community Trust in collaboration with African Adventures, the project allowed 80 volunteers to travel to help schools build new classrooms, renovate older parts of the buildings and teach children.
As part of Xaar’s sustainability roadmap and volunteering scheme, the group’s employees are encouraged to take part in all types of volunteering, including overseas. Through this, the company has supported Simon’s volunteering by donating £500 and granting extra annual leave each time.
Many of the scheme’s volunteers returned to the Jubilee Academy in Nakuru for a second year and were able to build on last year’s work to make the school a safer and more enjoyable environment.
The team assembled foundations for extra classrooms, repaired fencing, fixed the water butt and re-painted older classrooms.
“It was a life-changing experience, and it was even better to return this year to see the children again, with many of them remembering us,” Simon explained. “We were able to see the direct impact of last year’s work, with the school now functioning better. We also found out that several of the older children were able to go on to further education, which was extremely rewarding to see as this can be very rare.
“For these children, school is their happy place – where they can get food, shelter, and an education. This is where they get to play, dance and sing with their friends, so it becomes such a critical part of their life. That’s why I felt that volunteering to make improvements to their school was so important.”
Xaar Group CEO John Mills added. “We are delighted to have been able to support Simon’s volunteering efforts in Kenya for a second year. We are incredibly proud of his work and feel that he has perfectly reflected Xaar’s values on the other side of the world. Our congratulations to everyone involved in making such life-changing contributions during this trip.”
