Help for Rabil
O’Encanto
A much needed kindergarten in the Village of Rabil Without this facility some children travel to the nearby town of Sal Rei to attend pre school or they simply played in the streets with their siblings and other young family members. Without tourism, less and less children are able to attend, which of course puts huge pressure on the financial day to day running of the kindergarten to remain open. Without this education the children will struggle when they start school creating a knock on effect.
Food Donations
The first covid cases was brought to this island March 2020 by a holiday maker. A week after this the island was closed and around 90% of the island found themselves out of work with no government help. Myself & a small team have distributed food donations in the village of Rabil since April via financial donations but after 15 months the current sources are drying up due to the ongoing situation around the world. Without help from the government lots of families desperately need the basic provisions and there is no sight of tourism returning.
French School
A facility that offers sponsored places to children recognised as above average education, & who come from less fortunate families. The French system not only provides a higher standard of education but also the opportunity to leave the island and travel to Europe easily to peruse further education and job opportunities which is normally not an option.
How all of this came about…
Hi, I’m Louise! In January of 2013, I first discovered Boa Vista, a beautiful tourist island and one of the 10 breathtaking islands of Cape Verde.
As soon as my feet touched the concrete at the airport, I felt a beautiful connection with the island.
Between 2013 and 2018, I enjoyed holidays here, twice a year, with my now ex husband and we created beautiful bonds with people, who I now refer to as family. Over the years of visiting here and spending more time outside of the hotel, I experienced a different side of life. One that is more focused on family and community, rather than material things as in the western world.
Having not been blessed with living children of my own, I feel that I play a role of mother to so many here, and even grandmother to one very special boy, who has completely stolen my heart since his birth five years ago.
In October 2019, as my marriage was ending, I flew out here with a plan to stay for 3 months and, hopefully, would gain a clearer picture of what I wanted to do next.
Then, on the 3rd January, exactly 7 years to the day since I’d first stepped foot on this island, I was told about a project that completely spoke to my heart.
O’Encanto Jardim
I was introduced to a wonderful lady called Zenilda who had a vision to open a kindergarten.
What I haven’t mentioned, at this point, is that one of the reasons why my marriage ended was because I wanted to explore the option of fostering children. But this was not part of my ex-husband’s life plan and I had to fully respect this. However, I felt I needed to make a positive impact in the life of a child, or children. I have so much love to give and, since my son passed away after living for only 6 days many years ago, I have always had this desire burning inside of me.
Zenilda needed financial help, not only to open the kindergarten but also for the daily operations moving forward. I was originally asked if I would like to sponsor a child, but once I had heard more about Zenilda’s dream I saw the bigger picture, and I knew that this was why I was here…
I set to work creating a Facebook and Just Giving page, I began to talk to everyone I knew and so many things began to just fall into place. Funds helped to buy necessary equipment; a cooker, fridge freezer and other kitchen equipment. A friend who worked for TUI cabin crew started to bring donations left in their Manchester & Birmingham offices. Holiday makers brought donations of clothes, stationery & toys, and people planning to holiday here were buying things ready to bring over.
I loved that by helping and supporting Zenilda, I contributed to the bigger picture, which was to help impact the lives and education of so many children. Early education for children in Boa Vista is sometimes over looked due to lack of funds within the family, but I knew that I wanted to help as many young children have the best start in life, by attending O’Encanto
You can see from the photos in our Facebook page what Zenilda has created. It was more like a European kindergarten than what you would expect to find on a small Cape Verdean island…
Only a few weeks after the grand opening, we had our first positive case of Covid-19 on Boa Vista. There is no strong medical infrastructure here, so this meant the island had to protect itself. The Island of Boa Vista was closed and so was our kindergarten
The kindergarten was finally allowed to reopen in October, 2020. However, as the hotels remain closed Zenilda works harder and harder, on a very tight budget, to keep the kindergarten open, even taking on another role in the community to help with the running costs.
Costs for each child per month are as follows:
€45 – 0-2 years old
€35 – 3-5 years old
If you are interested in sponsoring one of the many children who need to learn the basics before starting to attend school, then please drop me a message and I will be happy to provide further details.
louise@shinewithlou.com
or if you wish to make a one off donation please use one of the donation options quoting ‘kindergarten’ as the reference .
To see photos of the work that took place to create this beautiful space, or to see the children enjoying it once it had opened, opened check out our facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/HelpForRabil/
During the pandemic, I could have left on a repatriation flight back to the UK, but something told me to stay, and I am so glad that I did as I then discovered how else I could help the village of Rabil, and give back to a community. A community that had welcomed me with open arms, all those years ago, and had become the place I chose to heal my heart.
Food donations
Within days of the island closing almost 90% of the population of Boa Vista lost their jobs, due to all the hotels closing. I set up a Just Giving page and, with a huge response, utilised the funds to provide basic food parcels for those struggling. You can see from the facebook page how this still continues today. In recent months donations have come from three main sources. One of these sources has supported from day one and has also personally sponsored four families of disabled children. Unfortunately this support has now come to a pause.
A donation of €25/30 can feed a family of 4 for 1 week and provide basic hygiene products.
If you are interested in donating to the food fund, please use one of the links stating “food donations” as the reference.
Better education opportunities for the Children of Boa Vista
One last project that I want to raise awareness for is the French School, based in Sal Rei. This is a school that, not only takes children through the French syllabus, but helps to open many more doors for their students. For most Cape Verdeans, leaving the country is impossible but through the education provided at the French School, and opportunity to further their studies Europe is created.
In addition to the children who come from affluent families, who can afford to pay for the education, there is also an opportunity for children from a less fortunate background. Having been identified as “above average” in their learning they can attend the French School via a sponsor.
I have, personally, committed to sponsor the 5-year-old stealer of my heart that I mentioned earlier. I not only want him to have the best start in life but I also want him to have the best opportunities to explore different paths in different countries.
In addition to the child I am sponsoring, there are other children who are identified each year that could also benefit from the French schooling system, and I would like to find sponsors.
To learn more about the French school, here is a link to their website where you can read more about it. https://ecolefrancaiseboavista.wordpress.com/
If you are interested in, or want to know more about, sponsoring a child, please contact the director of the School via the website, who will be happy to provide the information.
If you are a visitor of Boa Vista, with friends who work in one of the hotels, and would like to support their families, enquiries can be made via the school also.
Where is Rabil?
