Ysgol Bryn Elian pupils help build school in Madagascar

Bryn Elian pupils raised money by joining in Old Colwyn's Boxing Day dip

Pupils from Ysgol Bryn Elian in Colwyn Bay have been officially thanked for their fundraising efforts for a school pupils in Madagascar.

Over £14,000 was raised to provide a new school and fresh water in a village on the island off the south coast of Africa.

The chair of the Madagascar Development Fund, Brian Donaldson, said it was a joy to visit the school and thank the pupils for their hard work.

"The money they raised is making an enormous difference. The new classrooms opened this May give an extra 100 children the chance to get a basic education," he said.

Mr Donaldson set up his own charity after being instructed by the Foreign Office to close down the British embassy in Madagascar, which took with it the aid Britain provided for such projects.

"And you don't realise until you go there that there really are poor people, like you see on Children in Need. Katie Boughen

He now relies on fundraising efforts like Bryn Elian's to help improve the lives of some of Madagascar's 20 million inhabitants, 70% of which live in extreme poverty.

Of the funds £2,500 went to providing clean water for Ialaroa, a village on the island which lies just off the south coast of Africa.

"There was a small school, but it was empty because it was the children and women's job to travel fair distances each day to collect water, which was often polluted," explained Bryn Elian's head teacher, Eithne Hughes, who visited with her son in May.

"They're now going to employ a teacher because they have four stand pipes in the village, and the children are no longer ill from diseases like cholera."

"But one of the things I've said to the children is that it's a two way process. It's not just giving, but receiving a lot of learning experiences: thinking of others, considering what poverty really means, and where our priorities should lie in the west."

One person who experienced life in Madagascar first hand was year 13 student, Katie Boughen, who joined nine other pupils on an expedition of a lifetime this summer.

"After doing all the fundraising I really wanted to see the school for myself," said Katie, who explained that the pupils had first learned about Madagascar's plight when she and the school choir sang at their Independence Day celebrations in London in 2008.

They bought 220 school bags for the Madagascan children

"But I hadn't prepared myself for what I would see. Not just how poor people are, but the wildlife. All the smells and noises and people hit you all at once as you walk down a street.

"And you don't realise until you go there that they really are poor people, like you see on Children in Need.

"We built six bookshelves at the school and I can't explain how grateful they were. But they didn't have any books to put on them."

So Katie and her friends are determined to raise more funds to buy dictionaries, paper and pens for the school.

"I'm really considering taking a gap year and going out there," she added. "The flight is expensive, but once you're there, it's so cheap for us. We've got so much compared to them and I know I could offer lots of help."

Mrs Hughes confirmed that Bryn Elian intend to continue their ties with Madagascar.

"Visiting Ialaroa was an immensely emotional experience," said the head teacher.

"The pupils and local rotary clubs and super markets have worked so hard. To go out there and physically see what a difference it's made has spurred us on to continue raising funds, especially to provide more clean water."