Teachers take on Africa charity trip

Three teachers from Denbighshire recently swapped South Denbighshire for Southern Africa as they embarked on a journey to support children with additional needs in a remote mountain village.

Rachel Costeloe, Tina Hughes, and Kathryn Packer are qualified teachers who work for Denbighshire County Council’s inclusion team and took the 8,000-mile trip from Denbighshire to Lesotho, a landlocked country in Southern Africa earlier this year.

Rachel Costeloe, Tina Hughes, and Kathryn Packer

The three teachers took the trip in their spare time for the ‘One Day’ charity.

As part of a volunteer delegation for charity, the three teachers helped children who are orphaned, some of whom have additional learning needs and require a level of care that is difficult to provide locally without support. During their two weeks, Rachel, Tina, and Kathryn delivered training to a local school and two special schools. They also held an outreach programme for the community, delivering support to those who are vulnerable and those with additional learning needs.

Whilst visiting one of the special schools, they teamed up with the Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission and provided play and sports activities including some sensory play. 

As Lesotho is twinned with Wales, the team held a cultural day, where the trio held a mini-Eisteddfod which included Dawnsio Gwerin and dancing to Welsh music by the band The Candelas. 

Rachel Costeloe, Additional Learning Needs Advisory Teacher said:

“I truly feel privileged to have been part of this team. I delivered Trauma Training to the teachers in the schools that we visited and to the house parents of the orphans.

I can’t thank my friends and family enough for all the support they have given me.

The whole experience has been life changing and I’m already planning my next trip to Lesotho, and this time I will be taking my daughter with me.”

Tina Hughes, Additional Learning Needs Advisory Teacher said:

“We were fortunate to visit two special schools during our visit, one in Buthe Butha and the other in Leribe.

We worked alongside the Lesotho Sports Academy and some of the international rugby players to promote disability sports sessions.

We also worked alongside teaching staff, delivering training, and sharing techniques on how to develop communication with the use of core boards.”

Kathryn Packer, Behaviour Support Outreach Teacher said:

“I took my knowledge and resources to Lesotho to deliver the 6 Bricks training to the teachers, children, and the house parents.

The games and activities work on memory, motor skills, problem solving, creativity and cognitive flexibility.

It was an amazing experience, a privilege and joy.”

Since returning home, the three colleagues have continued to support the cause from afar, but all three have plans to return to Lesotho in the future, to continue to support the work that is going on there.