A teenager from Saltash working in Uganda has set up a fundraiser to organise a Christmas party for her adopted township.

Ella Carpenter is spending three and a half months as a teacher at Kigungu Kids Educare in Entebbe while living with a host family.

Her fundraiser for the Christmas party has already surpassed its target of £1,250 and she now plans to provide food for a wider group of children, delivering leftover food to the community.

She said: “The idea to feed 500 children this Christmas came from talking with Francis, the founder of the organisation. He told me that many people in the area struggle to feed their families on a daily basis, let alone provide a huge variety of food to celebrate Christmas.

Children from Kigungu Kids Educare in Entebbe have taken a shine to Ella who is teaching them how to write letters and to pair them with the sounds they make. (Picture: Ella Carpenter)
Children from Kigungu Kids Educare in Entebbe have taken a shine to Ella who is teaching them how to write letters and to pair them with the sounds they make. (Picture: Ella Carpenter) ( )

“I wanted to give everyone in the village an opportunity to celebrate Christmas and give the children a celebration that they deserve.”

The 19-year-old from Saltash completed a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course over the summer in order to be able to deliver English lessons to the children at the school setting.

Ella said: “I chose Uganda because I saw it as a country which could show me a completely different culture and way of life. 

“There are around 60 children in the organisation’s school. It is originally a nursery school but older children who can’t afford school fees also come so numbers vary on a daily basis. Many of the children have large gaps in their knowledge due to lack of education and their parents not being able to afford school fees.

“Since being here many children have now learnt how to write all their letters and pair them with the sound they make. It is a very rewarding experience to watch the progress made by the children over time.”

It will be the first time away from home at Christmas for Ella who is staying two and a half months in Kingungu.

She said: “It’s a very strange experience and I don’t really feel like it’s Christmas! They celebrate very differently here and it’s not tradition to give gifts as many can’t afford it in the village. 

Ella is hoping to spread some festive cheer by organising a Christmas Eve party for the children in her township of Kigungu, Uganda. (Picture: Ella Carpenter)
Ella is hoping to spread some festive cheer by organising a Christmas Eve party for the children in her township of Kigungu, Uganda. (Picture: Ella Carpenter) ( )

“Whilst I have struggled with not being with my family and friends for Christmas, I remind myself how good an experience this is for me, and I am very grateful to be able to give others here the Christmas that I have experienced growing up.”

Ella’s is planning a feast of rice, meat, spaghetti, chicken and vegetables with fruit and desserts for her Christmas Eve party, as well as Christmas decorations and music and all the practical elements including charcoal and renting cooking equipment.

She said: “I have learnt so much since I’ve been here. For example I have learnt how to make something from nothing, and it’s also made me very grateful to grow up in Cornwall where many worries of the people here, just do not exist at home.”

The GoFundMe page is still open at: www.gofundme.com/f/feed-the-500-on-christmas-eve.