together for the future of the children of good land (Earth).... associacao unidos para o futuro das criancas de terra boa

My second visit to Sal in a year... couldnt wait to get off the plane as it landed, the heat greeting me like a cosy warm blanket reminding me why i returned so soon. Smiles from locals as i disembarked and reclaimed my luggage, full to bursting with gifts for the local children. My family traveling with me had also stuffed numerous parafenalia into there cases to apease our need to give all we could to put a smile on these selfless childrens faces. I was so excited as this time we were prepared, we had a plan! Visit a local school and try to make a difference, offer support, gifts, assistance and a kind heart was the idea, in reality the wrench this would have on our hearts was without warning, god they needed more than we could stuff in our cases, so much more. We were four days into our week in Santa Maria, Sal and the day had come, our visit had been arranged by a local man Philip to visit the poorest school on the island in an illegal village camp called Terra Boa. The anticipation was almost to much to contain, we had many gifts to give the children and donations of pens, stationary, colouring books and euros to lend a helping hand, we bagged them up and climbed onto the back of the truck taking us to Terra Boa! .... It was a bumpy, dusty off road treck across the barron landscape of Sal nothing but sand as far as the eye could see then if you squinted hard enough what looked like some kind of makeshift refugee camp began to appear in the distance, i looked at everyone! Surely this couldnt be it... a school here? Children living here? Here? We pulled up to the compound of makeshift buldings a few scantily dressed children of about 8 or 9 looked at us curiosly from the sidelines as we clambered off the truck with our goods and ambled towards a little rickety picket fenced gate. The school entrance, i could here voices, childrens voices and little children playing, whatever could be behind the school door? I was about to find out... A few minutes later there i was inside, 22 children from the age of one to 16 seperated into age groups between 3 open plan rooms. No windows, no flooring, a few tables and chairs and a few toys. I needed a minute to process... i turned to my left a little gate blocked my way into the baby/todler room, i looked at the teacher she signalled we could enter. The toddlers looked at us bemused, one came across to twiddle my hair a little boy about 3 years old id say! No shoes just bare feet on a bare floor, a smile as big as his face and happy to show me around his little room full of little people. Snotty noses, bare feet, inquisitive natures.... my heart melted. Bubbles were blown, nursery rhymes sung, giggles heard, toys and lollypops given out, donations made to the food kitty so a hopeful hot meal could be given to them all each day. Our stationary, colouring books, pencils and stickers were piled on the table and we were invited by the school leader to take a look around. “The library” the leader said, a dark room at the back of the buliding shelving unit along the length of the back wall housing books of mulitpul languages and bits and bobs of stationary. “More English books needed and maths” she said looking at me for help whilst walking me through to the next room. “The kitchen” .... wow! Somehow - a donation of a range cooker run off a gas bottle had been installed, amazing. A fridge and a large pot completed the kitchen. The pot was simmering and smelt good, “dinner, all the children have dinner every day from donations” she said “we try to give breakfast but this isnt always able if no food or money to buy”. I sniffed back the tears and walked passed the toilet facilities- a hole in the ground and through to the children again who were all nicely sat at the table eating there lollys giving the teacher five minutes peace. What an amazing place, what an amazing leader for setting the school up for these children who would lack an education and needy meals without Terra Boa school. I knew at this point i needed to help more, we needed to help more.... how, when, what could we do? More supplies, more food parcels, more money, more clothes, shoes, school bags, sleeping bags, personal hygiene kits the list goes on.... Please please help in any way you can, your donations will be so gratefully recieved and put to such a good cause. Thank you all so much for taking time to read my story.

Cape Verde home to a group of small islands off the West coast of Africa one island in particular has got my full attention, Sal a very small very barron island where not much grows, water is a scarse comodety, food and clothing dont come easy and daily fishing is a way of life. The locals rely on the passing tourist trade and jobs at local hotels if they are lucky, others live a meager life of poverty and hardship making the most of the very little they have.