This year, children’ charity ACCA stepped up its back-to-school drive dramatically and, thanks to its supporters, helped some 400 youngsters get the new term started
ACCA doesn’t simply collect together the basics for its back- to-school programme; the charity prefers to supply specifics that are requested by the management teams and teachers of various schools across the Algarve, thus ensuring that the needs of individual pupils are met.
Many children received a backpack full of all the everyday essentials, such as pens and pencils, rubbers, rulers, note books of every type, glue, scissors, felt tips, colouring pencils. Those passing into the second stage of schooling, 2 ciclo, were provided with the more expensive items - dictionaries, calculators, recorders (of the musical kind), scientific calculators and files for those in the more senior classes as well as materials for four new university students.
Planning the back-to-school process is time-consuming and complex, explains ACCA’s Gwenda Daud. “The schools are aware that some students have no ability to pay for materials, and often teachers will keep the supplies we provide and give them out as required. The kids at the receiving end of those all-important school accessories could be new starters of age six, through to 18-year-olds".
“Children in need are identified by teachers in school, by local community centers, and by organisations caring for the homeless, such as CASA. Some teachers are very efficient and give out their lists at the end of the previous school year, but others wait until the parents’ meeting just before the beginning of the new term, so it is difficult to anticipate what will be needed. And some teachers ask for specific brands which, even late in the day, we try to provide.”
CASA received backpacks for the first time this year and Gwenda saw the delight on the children’s faces. “Many could not believe it. They were overjoyed to realize that they would have all they needed when the school doors opened. At another community centre, on the outskirts of Faro, the kids were overwhelmed when they received their supplies – one little girl, promised to learn English so she could say thank you properly next year.”
Although contributions from the general public were down this year, golf clubs, (Pinheiros, Laranjal and Quinta), ladies lunch groups, (Central) churches (St Vincent's) and private firms, helped make this year’s programme a success, with ACCA funding the downfall.
Some local authorities – Loule and Moncarapacho – decided to give text books free to the very young children in Ciclo 1, but others gave an allowance of just €30 to each child to purchase what was needed. Considering that a set of books for a child in Year 5, a nine-year-old, costs around 150 euros, it is obviously why ACCA’s involvement is so crucial.
Gwenda adds: “I have to thank ACCA volunteers who helped buy, organize and distribute the materials. We hope that next year we will be able to recruit more volunteers and raise additional funds for this vital cause. We have already purchased approximately 200 back packs from Staples in a specially-negotiated deal in readiness for next year’s drive, so we are off to a head start.”
