6 July 2020
Portico is helping Isle of Wight charity, the Roll Out the Barrel Trust, deliver a very special container to the Côte d’Ivoire. The customs agency at Portico have helped the charity get all the goods cleared ready for shipping for no charge. Adrian Brewer, founder of the trust, tells us more on how the container will change lives, and enable children to develop into adulthood providing for their families by securing meaningful jobs: “My charity, the Roll Out the Barrel Trust based on the Isle of Wight has linked with the Rotary Club of Paddington to help Kweni Inc, a group in Côte d’Ivoire. “The container came to the Isle of Wight and we arranged for one of our volunteers to cheer it up with a mural on both sides. This surely is a stand out container. When the container is emptied we are turning it on its side, removing the doors and converting it to an Arts and Community centre for the women and children in the area, with a nursery and a post natal clinic if we can get it staffed. It could even be used as a school room for primary children every afternoon for three hours. “We filled the container here on the island and what is inside which is essentially enough aid to help 800 people who have virtually nothing and to help set up a number of small enterprises in the Bouafle area, such as clothes making, a cycle shop, cobbling, photography, children’s clothing and charcoal manufacture. In addition, we have include tools to establish a group as builders. All the tools needed are in there. “In this container are also 140 family water filters and water barrels to help with the collection of water. The tools are to help manage the basic mechanics of putting things together and repairing them.” The container was loaded to Africa Express Lines‘ Caribbean Star on Monday morning bound for Antwerp, and then on to west Africa. We look forward to seeing updates once it arrives in Bouafle.
The original article was published here
