Over 25 children from Kenya visited Ghyll Royd School on Tuesday. The children are touring the UK performing at different schools and public spaces as part of the ‘Singing Children of Africa’ during their 2017 ‘Angels’ tour. The children stopped by for a tour of the school and a question and answer session with Ghyll Royd pupils. All pupils had a question prepared to ask their visitors about what life and school is like for them in their hometown of Mombasa.
Educate the Kids enables the poorest children of Mombasa the opportunity to attend school through donations and sponsorship. The charity provides a quality education as well as a feeding programme to nourish the children. Each of the 600 children in the school are individually sponsored in the UK for £11 a month. The charity has had thousands of children go through the school over the past 18 years, and has also given the opportunity for former pupils to be sponsored to train as teachers like Asha, Kombe, George, Betty, Simon and Charo.
During their visit, Form 1 showed their guests what they have been learning this year. Form 3 had a lesson on technology where the visiting children and their teachers used the interactive whiteboard. Form 4 had an origami whizz visit their class, so they each created paper hats, boats and cards.
After sitting down to eat lunch together, the children played in the playground and were put to the test by some very keen and talented footballers!
In the afternoon, an assembly was organised for the choir to perform for the children, staff and parents. Ghyll Royd’s Form 3 and 4 choir went first to open the assembly and to welcome the visiting children. Organiser Yvonne Craig and host Heather Munro expressed their thanks to the school choir, as the children have never had schoolchildren sing back to them before.
Dressed in their beautifully bright colours, the Singing Children of Africa performed a 30-minute concert with songs including ‘Angels on my Side’ by Rick Astley and finishing with ‘The Circle of Life’ from Disney’s The Lion King. Pupils bopped and moved in their seats to the rhythm of the drums and the fabulous singing. The children were phenomenal and really lifted spirits on a cold October day!
Thank you so much to Yvonne and Heather, coordinators and hosts of Educate the Kids for all your hard work in organising the visit. Thank you to Form 1 teacher Mrs Downes who is hosting two of the boys, Festus and Clinton. Thank you to all the children and teachers who visited for your kindness, sharing your excitement for education, and your immense talent that you displayed to us in your performance. The choir are performing on Wednesday 11th October at Ilkley Grammar School from 7.00pm, a show not to be missed! Get your tickets in the Ilkley Grammar School Office or on the door. If you can’t make it, or would like a taste of the concert, watch the video below.
Educate the Kids was set up by Ian and Maureen McIntyre after a visit to Kenya back in 1998. The Singing Children of Africa choir was then formed in 2006 and is great for boosting the children’s confidence, and allows them to express themselves through music and dance.
Sponsorship prices
- £5 a month buys a child’s lunch every day
- £11 a month buys one month’s tuition, school uniform, exam fees, books, breakfast and lunch every day
- £25 a month buys one month’s secondary school tuition
- £150 a month helps sponsor a teacher through their training.
For more information on sponsorship and hosting, please visit the Educate the Kids website.
Conveniently situated on the A65 between Ben Rhydding, Ilkley and Burley in Wharfedale, Ghyll Royd School, Pre-School and Nursery is ideally located for families living in or commuting to the surrounding cities, towns and villages of Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, Burley in Wharfedale, Addingham, Menston, Guiseley, Baildon, Bingley, Otley, Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate, Skipton and Keighley.
