Donated school supplies on 'vehicle of hope' arrive in Nigeria
School bus filled with school supplies, clothing and toys reached destination
A different kind of magic school bus arrived in northeastern Nigeria this week, well ahead of schedule and filled with much-needed school supplies donated by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
"First it was a surprise, because we thought it would get there be December. We didn't know it would get there so quick," Zaineb Jerrett, who runs the We Care Foundation and spearheaded the effort, told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.
"When it eventually got there we had issues with customs ... Luckily we prepared in time for import duties. We were ready. We had already sent the money for clearance."
Jerrett says she and the organizers received a lot of pictures from the day the bus arrived to its new home.
"I was so happy watching them and seeing the kids. I can picture in my mind immediately how they are going to enjoy it," she said.
"They're going to actually feel safe and loved by people in this part of the world. So I've been rejoicing since, and making plans now because I plan to be there."
Helping children return to school
The effort to fill an entire school bus and six cars with essentials began in August with the idea that the bus, donated by Parsons and Sons Transportation Ltd., will be used to help students get to and from school safely.
The We Care Foundation started out raising money to help students who could no longer attend school because Boko Haram, a jihadist militant organization based in northeastern Nigeria, had made it unsafe to do so.
So far the group has gotten 56 boys and girls into safer areas and back into school in other parts of Nigeria. This latest effort will provide the funding to help an additional 40 students.
The donated bus
The bus itself came from Terry Parsons of Parsons and Sons Transportation Ltd.
Jerrett came to him looking to buy a bus for her organization's effort, Parsons said, but once he realized what she was planning he simply gave her one for no cost.
From there, Parsons knew he had to sign on to help further with the effort. The first school he and Jerrett approached for donations, Parsons said, required two vans, and seven trips, to haul everything to their storage facility.
"It's not just a bus. It's a vehicle of hope. There's a lot of people in that part of the world that really need what they can get," Parsons said.
"I didn't really do much. I gave away a bus."
With files from the St. John's Morning Show