Schools to Benefit from Ambitious Venture

Several Western Cape schools stand to benefit from an ambitious venture when British Pilot, Robert Vallier will attempt to make the first Unity Flight of South Africa (Ufosa) by flying a single engine aircraft to 30 communities all round the country in 30 days, raising funds from the international community along the way.

This venture is supported by Education MEC Cameron Dugmore, who has joined him on the first leg of the Unity Flight from Cape Town to Beaufort-West, where they will hand out books to the Beaufort West Secondary School.

This is the launch of a five-year commitment to support the schools with:

• 1,000 books from the library of the Donate a Book campaign in the UK and USA;
• computer labs;
• salary for an additional teacher;
• infrastructure support; and
• teacher and student exchange programmes with UK and USA.

Other Western Cape schools who stand to benefit, include Hoerskool Witterdrift (Plettenberg Bay), Vredendal Noord Primary, Bulumko Secondary School (Khayelitsha) and the Bridgeville Primary School (Athlone).

Vallier's UFOSA Foundation, now established on three continents - the USA, the UK and South Africa - and with the backing of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Gavin Rajah, is seeking to reach out and aid the 30 communities throughout South Africa, uniting them in a far-reaching 5-year aid and development programme in education, family wellbeing and health.

The UFOSA Foundation wants to focus global attention on the plight of people all over South Africa, not just on isolated areas or causes, and seeks to raise funds from the international community along the way.

"My challenge as a Private Pilot," says Robert, "is to fly a few thousand miles in South Africa and manage a very tight schedule in 30 days. The challenge for the people in the communities I am going to see is in just living and getting through each day, dealing with hunger, family abuse, minimal education and poor health. Who has the bigger challenge?"

DOWNLOAD UFOSA STATEMENT, ALSO VISIT: http://www.ufosafoundation.org/

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Enquiries:

Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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