The Rotary Club of Thame & District together with Thame & District Round Table is asking the local public to check their sheds and lofts and bring their old tools in the main car park of Thame, Montesson Square, near the Market House. The tool collection will take place on Saturday 11th May from 9:00 to 13:00. The public should be aware that garden tools are not accepted.
This time Thame & District Round Table members will be providing support with this event.
At the same time, Thame & District Rotary members will be displaying a ShelterBox tent in front of Thame Town Hall to raise awareness of the work done by SheterBox to help people affected by natural disasters around the world.
Every year the Thame & District Rotary Club runs a collection point for unwanted tools. These are then taken to ‘Tools for Self Reliance’ (TFSR) collection centre in Southampton. The latter are a charity which refurbishes them and sends them to NGO’s in Africa. The NGO’s then distributes them FREE to men and women which helps them to obtain work.
All of the tools sent to Africa are used to provide training and equip trainees with their own start up kits to set up their own businesses after completing training not only in their chosen trade, but in business management, financial, and life skills.
One such trainee is Umu Jalloh. Umu was living in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with her brother when she joined a Tools for Self Reliance course in partnership with Baptist Women’s Union. She had never been to school, and had left the family home aged 14 to escape an arranged marriage – her brother was looking after her, but Umu wanted to be able to earn a living, and contribute to their expenses.
She signed up for a course in tailoring, and enjoyed learning so much she often stayed after the end of classes to practice. The business training that was part of the programme meant that Umu felt confident she could purchase the materials she needs for a job, how to cost and price her products, and planning use of income.
Umu said the biggest change was being economically empowered “so I do not have to be reliant on a man.”
Items which can be collected include sewing machines, tools used for plumbing, carpentry, metalworking, building, bicycle repair, shoe repair, car repair.
No garden tools are accepted.
For more information visit www.thame.rotary1090.org or www.facebook.com/thamerotary
