Hi everyone!
This week, a small group of us held an online meeting to discuss a number of things regarding the future of Friends of Pakati.
Those taking part were Cuan Forrest, plus two of his associates Emma Armstrong & Bina Sitaram, along with Bradley Mell, Sharlom Chitika & myself.
The main things we talked about were: Charity Status, Trustees, immediate plans, fundraising, & future potential projects.
We agreed a procees for getting that official Charity status, likely to be in the next couple of months, all being well.
These are the prospective Trustees: Sharlom Chaitika, Cuan Forrest, Bradley Mell, Bothwell Riside & Chris Walker. We will also need some reserve Trustees who can interchange as & when required.
Following discussions with the Heads of the two Pakati schools – Mr Mahachi (Primary, above) & Mr Chizenya (Secondary, below) – we have some idea of the priorities of both schools for us to focus on when raising funds.
Here are the main items the two schools said they would like to have, and we are waiting for a full list of quotes for each item accordingly. We posted this on our Friends of Pakati WhatsApp group chat –
“Hi all, following contact with the two Pakati school Heads, below are their priorities as sent to me yesterday:
Mr Mahachi,
Pakati Primary priorities are as follows
- IT suite
- new classroom
- Renovation of teachers house and classroom
- Solar power upgrade
Mr Chizenya,
Staff members and SDC members agreed that
Pakati Secondary priorities are as follows;
- Water
- New toilets for learners
- Renovation of teachers houses
- Renovation of classrooms
- Solar power upgrade
So far, we have a quote for surveying & for drilling a borehole, at $350 and $1800 respectively.”
The benefit of getting the Charity status is we can then apply for grants, some of which are substantial, which will allow us to do more for the schools and local community. It also will boost our ability to fundraise towards our targets, & get to apply for Gift Aid too.
One of the potential fundrausing ideas has come from our newest partner, Cuan Forrest (above). Following the recent success of our beloved Scunthorpe United in gaining promotion last weekend, Cuan was involved in part of the celebrations (including 125th Anniversary of the club), & has a ball signed by the squad. He is donating it to Friends of Pakati to help raise funds. This will be organised very soon.
That’s all for this post, but we have more to announce in the coming days!
Great stuff, keep on keeping on!
You’re doing an amazing job at our local school, and I want you to know you have my full support. This school is more than just a place of learning for me—it’s where I grew up, where I was shaped into the person I am today. I attended secondary school there from 1997 to 2000, and I had the honor of serving as Headboy in 2000. The values and foundation I gained from that environment have carried me throughout my life.
As a rural school, I understand there are still many areas that need development—reliable electricity through solar installation, access to clean water through boreholes, improved infrastructure, a proper library, and a fully equipped computer lab, access to Internet. These are not luxuries—they are essentials that can truly transform the future of the learners.
Because this school played such a vital role in my life, I feel a deep personal responsibility and desire to contribute to its growth. I want to be part of this great work and help ensure the next generation has even greater opportunities. This is not just giving back—it’s investing in a place that gave so much to me.