Further to our recent article about ‘Operation Christmas Child’ we would like to tell you about another project The Probate Bureau Ltd is currently involved in.

In February 2009 David West (Managing Director of The Probate Bureau Ltd) went to Tanzania to participate in a charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. Whilst he was in Tanzania, he had the good fortune to meet a man called Peter Lukumay in a nearby town called Arusha. Peter explained to David that he was widowed two years ago and has a four year old daughter to support. He also told David that he wanted to build a school to cater for the slum children around Arusha. After experiencing the warmth of the local people and seeing their need, David decided that he wanted to make that dream a reality.

Tanzania School Project

Upon his return to the UK, David enlisted the support of Richard and Siva Winters of Winters & Co Solicitors. Winters had recently been made executors of a Will in which the deceased left his entire estate for the benefit of children. As trustees, they had the discretion to choose how to apportion these funds and decided that they would rather help a few people a lot than gift the money to charity and not know what it had been used for.

Tanzania School Project

Steve McFarland, the founder of a US based charity called Key Connections Ministries (www.keyconnections.org), was also involved to coordinate the project and assist in transferring funds between the UK and Tanzania. With his help, construction of the Ngaremtoni Nursery School began on land donated by Peter Lukumay in January 2010.

The school caters for both boys and girls of nursery age and its principle aim is to teach English. Basic skills such as numeracy and literacy are also taught and breakfast is provided every day.  In Tanzania, there are numerous fees payable to attend even government funded schools. This discourages poor families from enrolling their children, in particular girls. All the parties involved believe that providing a free education and teaching English is the best way to assist them in the hope that they will be able to find gainful employment in the future. This is the best way to help them out of poverty.

Construction of Ngaremtoni Nursery School is now complete and the first class of children are attending. Above are some pictures sent to us by Steve McFarland.

The Probate Bureau Ltd will continue to support this and similar projects in Tanzania. In the future, we hope to build a secondary school in partnership with Peter and provide a school bus to transport the children. If you would like to know more about this project or make a donation, please contact us. We are always grateful for any support.

Charlotte Cumbicus-Gunn

Every year, the staff at The Probate Bureau Ltd come together to do something for charity. For the past three years this has included participating in the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child Appeal. This initiative was pioneered by Gemma Hill when she joined The Probate Bureau Ltd in 2007.  Since then more and more staff have become involved each year.

Operation Christmas Child is the largest Christmas shoebox appeal in the UK and has this year celebrated its 20^th Anniversary.  The shoeboxes are distributed to disadvantaged children around the world and this year will be divided between Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrygystan, Liberia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Romania, Serbia, Swaziland, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. Once they reach the recipient country they are distributed from centres such as churches, orphanages and schools so that they reach the neediest children. The children receiving these gifts would otherwise not have anything to open on Christmas Day.

Although Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organisation, the shoeboxes are distributed to all children in need; irrespective of their beliefs, ethnicity or religion.

People in the UK prepare the shoeboxes by wrapping an old shoebox in Christmas paper and filling it with children’s toys, toiletries and essentials, sweets, colouring books and other gifts. The boxes are intended for boys and girls aged 2-14 years old. Once prepared, a donation of £2.50 is enclosed to cover the postage and the boxes are taken to a designated ‘drop off’ point. They are then checked by Samaritan’s Purse volunteers and transported to the destination countries.

All of us at The Probate Bureau Ltd are proud to support this cause and thoroughly enjoy buying the gifts and packing the shoeboxes. We have included above some of the pictures we took this year.

If you would like to become involved yourself or make a donation, please go to www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk for more information.

Charlotte Cumbicus-Gunn

Probate Administrator