Stapenhill woman is feeling lucky after Ghana trip with Burton Albion Community Trust

Published on: 18 June 2015

'LUCKY' was the word one volunteer used to describe how she felt after she spent 11 days helping out in West Africa.

Sandra Norton has just returned from a trip to Ghana with the Burton Albion Community Trust and said the experience was 'very humbling.'

The 53-year-old, from Stapenhill, said: "It was quite an eye-opener how much we take for granted.

"These children were standing outside in the yard when it rained and had no access to running water and yet we can just turn a tap on and have both hot and cold water."

Miss Norton, who works at East Staffordshire Citizens Advice Bureau, was one of 15 people who made the 4,000-mile journey to help build and lay down bricks to create walls for a school canteen, which will provide shelter from the rain.

She was working in Kegbi school, which was three hours drive from the capital Accra.

She added: "The children there have ripped uniforms and no shoes but they are so happy.

"All we want to do is improve their quality of life.

"The work we did was a small part of something much bigger, and if we can keep these children in education then this is positive step and providing good facilities is one step to achieving this."

She explained how the electricity would go off at times, and there was no hot water.

"The cultural differences were massive.

"I think we have come to take so much for granted in our modern lifestyles," she added.

At the end of the project the villagers presented the volunteers with sashes and certificates. The young people in the village put on a ceremonial dance as a 'thank you' to all involved.

Miss Norton: "This was my chance to give something back to the world."

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