Morton Football Strip Enables Dream to Become a Reality

by | Nov 26, 2017

 

**MORTON FOOTBALL STRIP ENABLES DREAM TO BECOME REALITY**

 

“The reality of the water crisis at Faith and Hope has always been the most hard-hitting reality to get my head around. Since first visiting the school in 2010, it has been my dream to build a water well at Faith and Hope, providing the pupils, staff and their families access to clean water each day.” Kari Spence

The reality is that the majority of these families are walking to the nearest lake to collect water; water which is filled with disease, shared amongst domestic cattle and home to crocodiles and hippos.

This past summer, our team of 18 volunteers fundraised an amazing £12,000 for TISR. As a group, after seeing the harsh reality of the water crisis, everyone decided that the very best way the £12k raised could be spent would be towards the charity’s longstanding ambition – to build a fresh water well at the school. Although a huge amount of money had been raised by the 2017 volunteers, 10k was still needed to reach the £22,000 target. Since returning home, some further donations were received, via our volunteers after sharing their stories about the trip. However, the shortfall was still £9000.

Prior to the team arriving in July, Martin Hutchinson, an old friend and colleague from Edinburgh, was out in Rwanda. Martin had had connections with Rwanda since 2004, and was sharing his love for the country with his daughter, Mairi. They both visited Faith and Hope for a day, meeting the staff and pupils and hearing all about TiSR’s different projects.
Martin grew up in Greenock, and was amazed when he saw one of the younger pupils wearing a Morton Football strip, this being his local team!

This top was brought out in 2012 when the charity had a group of young people from North Lanarkshire travelling to Rwanda to volunteer.

The wee boy is named Amiable, and is one of the first children that TiSR began supporting through the initial sponsor programme, bringing him off the streets and into education in 2012. Over the last few years, every time Kari visited the school this Morton strip was worn by Amiable.

When returning home, Martin sent photos to the Morton Football Club, and following this the Greenock Telegraph got in touch to put an article in the paper.

“I am absolutely delighted to let you all know that, from this article, we have received an anonymous donation, through Foundation Scotland, which has enabled us to reach our target of £22,000.” Kari

In a world currently so full of negativity, this donor’s generosity is a reminder that there are some wonderful people out there, and restores so much faith in humanity.

Words will never express how thankful the charity is to this donor, and the life-changing difference he has made possible for the pupils at Faith and Hope.

Kari will be travelling back to Rwanda alongside her trustees in Feb 2018 to meet with Living Water International, and to start the process of building a water well at Faith and Hope!

However we aren’t stopping there… In 2018, we will be building a hand-pump water well. However, by 2020 our aim is to upgrade this to a solar running pump, which will allow us to provide clean water to the wider community.

“THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who donated towards this project, looking back to my first visit in 2010, never did I think this dream would become a reality.” Kari

 

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