Family heading for African adventure
A Stonehouse family are preparing to spend a year volunteering at a school in Uganda.
Peter and Sarah-jane Ramsay, along with their children Samuel (11), Nathanael (8) and Mara (5), will be heading to the African country on July 3.
It will be a return visit for the Ramsays to the Kitega Community Centre, which offers support and education for children with disabilities.
The family previously spent several summer weeks volunteering to help the staff and children there after learning of its work through links with St Ninian’s Church.
A representative from the centre visited Stonehouse and spoke about the work being carried out there.
Sarah-jane was brought up in Kenya and she and Peter had always wanted to take their children to visit East Africa.
Peter said: “We are taking a year out of our life here in Scotland to go and volunteer with the centre, working alongside the staff there to help address poverty and inequality within the local community.
“The centre has big plans in its sights, with the aim of building a new centre for vocational training.
“This is where some of the children with disabilities, who are now young adults, can learn skills such as tailoring and baking in order to help provide for themselves and their families.
“The longer-term plan is also to open a retail unit in the nearby town, where small businesses supported by the community banking scheme can sell their wares and become self-sufficient.”
The base provides schooling