The best part of being out and about on the 'road' are the people you meet along the way. Last year under a blistering hot tent somewhere over in Kent, just when spirits were flagging - I met the delightful Rachel. She was very keen on 'Bushbells', our products and why we do what we do. We then got chatting (as I am prone to do!) and we knew all sorts of people in common, and had great fun 'joining up the dots' - as I call it!
Rachel very kindly invited me to Marlborough House School to give a talk to the middle school on the history of Bushbells, and to give them some insight into the education the children at our schools have compared to theirs. When the children see the very basic classroom structures, with no windows, rudimentary desks and elementary equipment of a black board, pens and pencils they find it humbling. When they learn of how the very young children aged 3 and 4 walk ten or twenty minutes to school on their own each day, they think some more. When they discover that the 'Bluebells Breakfast Club' is often their first meal of the day - a mug of rather watery porridge, there is often silence. And it's learning about those differences at a young age that can have a great impact and make one just feel grateful for so much. It was John and Lydia's 90 minute walk to school at the beginning and end of each day that really got them thinking!
My huge thanks to Marlborough House School and to the staff for inviting me to give such at talk at their assembly. The school has a very strong ethos of caring and kindness and I found it abundant in the children and staff I met. Lucky MHS children and lucky me! Thank you Rachel and MHS! And thanks too, to the wonderful spontaneous photo shoot that went on with some of the children in their beautiful school grounds. Britain's next top model spotted .....you read it here first!
On Friday ‘Bushbells’ visited MHS. It’s a small organisation which has built one school and is half way through building a second in Watamu, Kenya, and it uses sales from the profits from the clothes they sell, to do this.
Jax talked to the Middle School children about how the Kenyan school has grown and developed over the last 14 years. She explained how they sponsor certain children to be educated and how they have raised funds to develop the school. Our children were fascinated and surprised that some children have to walk for 90 minutes to school each day in bare feet.
Our thanks go to Jax for visiting us and giving us such an informative talk about the wonderful and inspirational work that she does to support this school in Kenya.
Good on you. I’m looking forward to seeing you.
Love what you do, you are in inspiration! Keep spreading the kindness xx
Thank you so much for visiting us Jax. It is so lovely to see all the Bushbells clothing that has popped up in our community since your visit. Xx
Wonderful stuff! Keep spreading the news of your amazing work ! xxxx