Thirteen Emmanuel School Children Raise £400 for a Gambian Sports Pitch

Thirteen children from Emmanuel School. A classroom full of ideas. A collection of wonderfully imaginative mini-businesses. And an extraordinary final total of £400.08 for BFiG Busumbala Nursery School.

Once again, the children of Emmanuel School in Walsall have shown just how much can be achieved when creativity, kindness and determination are brought together.

Their fundraising began during the school’s Enterprise Week, when the wonderful Mrs Roque gave each child £2 as a small amount of start-up capital. There was just one important condition: the £2 had to be paid back once their business was up and running.

From there, the children’s entrepreneurial imaginations took over.

Creative businesses with a charitable purpose

Enterprise Week stall at Emmanuel School selling sweets and hand-painted pencils to raise money for BFiG Busumbala Nursery School.

Small Hands, Big Hearts poster advertising hand-painted pencils and sweets during Emmanuel School’s Enterprise Week fundraiser for BFiG.

Enterprise Week sales poster advertising poppy seeds and Croc Jibbitz to raise money for Building Futures in The Gambia.

The pupils developed an impressive collection of business ideas. Some washed cars, while others baked and sold cookies and cupcakes. There were hand-painted pencils, lavender, poppy seeds and colourful Croc Jibbitz.

Emmanuel School pupils displaying sweets, cups and hand-painted pencils during Enterprise Week fundraising for BFiG.

Everywhere you looked, another idea seemed to be taking shape.

Some businesses involved making things. Others relied on practical skills, careful planning or a willingness to persuade friends, families and neighbours to support a very good cause. Together, the children turned their original £2 investments into something far more valuable.

Children selling bundles of lavender and handmade gifts during Emmanuel School’s Enterprise Week fundraiser for BFiG.

Emmanuel School Enterprise Week stall selling poppy seeds and Croc Jibbitz to raise money for Building Futures in The Gambia.

Their Enterprise Week activities initially raised a brilliant £385.08. A final donation of £15 then brought the grand total to a magnificent:

£400.08

That would be a wonderful achievement for any class.

What makes it even more remarkable is that there are only thirteen children in Mrs Roque’s class.

Thirteen children raised more than £400 to help children living many thousands of miles away at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School in The Gambia, West Africa.

Cheque from Emmanuel School for £385.08 towards a new sports pitch at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School in The Gambia.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s young entrepreneurs

This is not the first time Mrs Roque’s class has supported our nursery school.

During last year’s Enterprise Week, the children raised a fantastic £224.74. That money was used to help transform the school grounds by funding a collection of young trees and flowering bougainvillea.

Thanks to their hard work, we were able to plant mango, banana, orange, avocado and umbrella trees, along with colourful bougainvillea around the school site.

Those young plants are already beginning to change the appearance of the grounds. As they grow, they will provide shade, greenery, fruit, colour and more inviting outdoor spaces for the children.

Six smiling children from BFiG Busumbala Nursery School standing beside a young tree funded by Emmanuel School in The Gambia.

The mango, banana, orange and avocado trees will become part of the life of the school for years to come, while the umbrella trees will eventually provide much-needed shelter from the fierce Gambian sun. The bougainvillea will add vivid splashes of colour around the school grounds.

Last year’s fundraising did not simply buy a few plants. It helped create something living and lasting.

This year, the children have gone even further.

A new sports pitch for BFiG Busumbala Nursery School

The £400.08 raised this year will be used to create a new sports pitch within the grounds of BFiG Busumbala Nursery School.

Sport and active play are important parts of children’s development. A dedicated pitch will give our nursery children a safer and more suitable space in which to run, play games, develop physical skills and enjoy activities together.

It will also help us make better use of the school grounds and provide another valuable facility as the nursery continues to grow.

Construction of the sports pitch is expected to begin during the new school year, once the rainy season has ended and the ground is dry enough for the work to take place.

The difference between the two Enterprise Week projects is wonderful to see.

Last year, Emmanuel School helped us plant trees that will grow alongside the children.

This year, they are helping to create a space where those children can run, play and grow in confidence.

Children helping children

The pupils at Emmanuel School may live thousands of miles from Busumbala, but the connection between the two schools continues to grow stronger.

Through their hard work, creativity and generosity, the children in Walsall are making a genuine and lasting difference to children in The Gambia.

They are learning valuable lessons about enterprise, responsibility, teamwork and money. More importantly, they are discovering that children do not have to wait until they become adults before they can make a positive difference in the world.

A class of just thirteen pupils has now helped fund trees, bougainvillea and a sports pitch for another school on another continent.

That is an extraordinary achievement.

Moving onwards and upwards

Seven BFiG Busumbala Nursery School leavers in blue uniforms waving before moving on to Lower Basic School in The Gambia.

This update also comes at a special time for some of the children at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School.

Several of our oldest pupils are preparing to leave nursery and move onwards and upwards to Lower Basic School.

It is always a proud and emotional moment to see children complete this important stage of their education. They arrived at the nursery as some of our youngest pupils and have since grown in confidence, developed friendships, learned new skills and become increasingly ready for the next chapter in their lives.

We are incredibly proud of every one of them.

As they leave BFiG Busumbala Nursery School, they take with them the foundations built by their teachers, their families and the wider school community. We hope they continue to enjoy learning, believe in themselves and embrace every opportunity that comes their way.

They will always remain part of the story of our nursery school, and we look forward to hearing about the progress they make at Lower Basic School.

Thank you, Emmanuel School

Our heartfelt thanks go to every child in Mrs Roque’s class, to their families, to everyone who bought something, booked a car wash or supported one of the children’s businesses, and especially to Mrs Roque for once again encouraging such a thoughtful and inspiring project.

Last year, thirteen young entrepreneurs helped bring trees, fruit, shade and bougainvillea to our school grounds.

This year, they have raised £400.08 for a new sports pitch.

They have shown, once again, that a small group of determined young people can make an enormous positive difference.

That is enterprise at its very best.

Would you like to support the ongoing development of BFiG Busumbala Nursery School?

You can help us continue improving educational opportunities for children in The Gambia by visiting our Donate page or by sharing our posts with others.

Every bit of support genuinely makes a difference.

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