FAQ

What is involved for the Kent School?

How will the partnership benefit the Kent school?

Which are the 80 least developed countries?

How did the Surin Village School Charity begin?

Why do the village schools need our help?

What is a 'Less Developed Country'?


What is involved for the Kent School?
The aim is to develop a team of 'Surin Angels' at the Kent School who will direct fund raising events and encourage communication with the Village School. Ideally an annual programme of fundraising will be followed in order to build and sustain the village school. A strong, long term partnership between the schools will develop.


How will the partnership benefit the Kent school?
Globalisation and global issues are becoming an increasing part of children's lives. UK society is enhanced by cultures, languages and arts from all over the world. The Surin Village School Charity develops the global dimension into the school curriculum and encourages the understanding of developing countries' cultures.
Students will be able to gain a sense of responsibility and satisfaction and the school will be recognised as actively helping children in developing nations where 72 million primary school age children remain out of school. Seven out of ten of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa or South and West Asia. (www.dfid.gov.uk)


Which are the 80 least developed countries?
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti , Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia , Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives , Mali , Mauritania , Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia. (48)

How did the Surin Village School Charity begin?
The founder of Surin Restaurant, Ramsgate - Damrong Garbutt saw the need for improved school facilities in her home town of Surin, Thailand and recognised the benefits to a local Kent School of developing cross-cultural learning.The Surin Village School Charity developed a partnership between Surin Village School and Ellington High School. Funds have been raised to re-build the school in Surin and interaction between the schools strengthens the partnership.The mission was then set to develop a similar partnership between the world's 80 least developed nations and schools across Kent.


Why do the village schools need our help?
Millions of children across the world either do not go to school or find themselves in overcrowded classrooms with untrained, underpaid teachers with no books or equipment. Some schools are even without an appropriate building. Education is a route out of poverty for the world's underdeveloped nations.


What is a 'Less Developed Country'?
According to the United Nations, Less developed countries demonstrate slow socio-economic development and low human development ratings. Generally, less developed countries have low living standards associated with high income inequality, poor health and inadequate education and limited life expectancy.