Following her recent trip to Konya on November 14th 2008 Thurit Berge visited two third year classes at the German School to share with the children her new pictures and stories of Konya.
Over the last twelve months Thurit had met with the pupils three times. She had told them about life in the village in Kenya and the situation for children there in particular. The students at the German School sang Kenyan songs, wore colourful robes and played with Kenyan toys. And they also wanted to help and send gifts to the children in Konya. They collected old and used school items - sharpening old pencils, finding excess pens, cleaning up disregarded pencil cases. They saved paper by reusing old paper and writing on both sides - so that the classes could also donate paper. All this Thurit took with her. Back in the UK from her trip she showed the German pupils on photo and video how all the goods were distributed. The school materials collected by the classes were carefully given to a whole variety of school pupils in the Konyan Secondary and Primary School as well as the Kindergarten. In the photos and video, our children were able to recognize their pencil cases and toys - now all the way in Kenya! They could see how the Konyans appreciated these items - especially a whole bunch of little pink ponies. Thurit also brought something back from Kenya as a Thank you to all the little donators . Each of the 3rd Year children were able to choose out of a basket either a traditional Kenyan bracelet or a key holder.
Also at a pre-Christmas auction in aid of Hope for Konya the parents of the two school classes pitched in for some advent-calenders made from hand-knit stockings. £150 were raised for the charity.