Well, here it is, our very first blog post on this incredible new website, beautifully designed by our wonderful and caring friend Connor Chinn.
I just want to say a huge thank you for the time, effort, and love you’ve poured into creating this for us. From myself, Claire, Emma, and Samba, we are truly grateful.
This new site will, without doubt, help us share and support the story of Village Kerr Layen more clearly and effectively than ever before.
A big thank you also goes to Emma and her partner Ash, who completed a 20 mile walk in Derbyshire, raising over £1,000 for our charity.
Your generosity will help us buy school uniforms for our children, something that means the world to them.
Letting Go and Growing Together
These past eight months have been both strange and magical. It’s been an incredible experience watching Claire and Emma join Samba and his team to help make our school a true success.
For me personally, it’s been a journey of learning to let go of control and allow my “baby” to grow.
When Connor volunteered to design us a new website, I’ll admit I was happy with the old one.
But Connor’s charm won us over, and with Claire’s sharp design eye guiding the fonts and colours, the result has blown me away.
It’s exceeded all expectations.
I’m deeply grateful for Connor’s hard work and dedication. With Claire focusing on admin, design, and the Hold A Hand Project, Emma taking charge of the accounts and spending, Connor managing the website, and Samba leading his team on the ground, I sometimes feel like a bit of a spare part.
But in truth, this gives me space to keep doing what I love most, supporting and falling in love with this community.
It allows me to take a step back and see the bigger picture, to watch the dream grow.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I hear the words “Lee Glasgow, founder of African Village Dream.”
I feel honoured and humbled every single time.
None of this would have been possible without those who supported us from the very beginning, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Gratitude and Celebration
A huge thank you to Holly and her mum Teresa for making our Christmas wreath workshops such a success.
I can’t wait to see everyone get creative, have fun, and soak up the Christmas spirit. That’s all the thank yous for now.
I can almost hear Claire telling me to save some for the third edition of the Kerr Layen Sun!
Looking Ahead
For now, we’ve had to pause new admissions to the school. Sadly, we simply don’t have enough space or teaching capacity at the moment, and our sponsorship numbers limit how many children we can support.
Samba, bless him, has a habit of sneaking extra children into school because he can’t bear to see a child go without education, and that’s exactly why we love him so much.
A large portion of our sponsorship funds currently goes towards breakfast and lunch for the children, which is a vital need. But after food and teachers’ wages, there’s little left for anything else.
So, I’ve asked Samba to explore ways the village can move towards self-sufficiency, reducing pressure on our finances while ensuring the children are well-fed.
He’s looking at three key projects:
- A chicken farm to provide food for the children and income from selling eggs locally.
- A dedicated rice field (2 hectares) to produce food solely for the school.
- A vegetable garden where the children can help grow and harvest their own food.
We estimate around £2,500 will be needed to get these projects started, and I’ll be discussing this with the trustees this Thursday.
Ultimately, one of the most important things we can do is help the village become self-sufficient, so they can continue thriving even if support from the UK side slows down.
Kumba finally is admitted to Hospital to have her teeth sorted part one went really well and she will return next month for part two, she was playing all day with her best friend Fatima.
Again thank you to everyone that helped towards her medical cost, fortunately they were not excessive.
A Journey to Remember
In January, eleven of us, including myself, my wife, and my 82 year old mum, will be visiting the village.
I can already picture the joy on the villagers’ faces, the drums, the dancing, and the music as we arrive.
I’m so excited to hear the stories from the visitors, to see how they feel now they have experienced this adventure first hand.
I know our visitors will return home with a whole new perspective on life.
And though part of me feels protective of this special place, another part feels deeply honoured that others have fallen in love with Samba, the village, and its children enough to make this journey and immerse themselves in village life.
It makes me feel both proud and humble to have been given such a precious opportunity.
Thank you to each and every one of you who has played a part, no matter how small, in making this dream possible.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Lee Glasgow
Founder of African Village Dream