A new partnership between pupils in West Kilbride and Tanzania has got off to a flying start.

An exciting project has linked youngsters at the village’s primary school with pupils at Lembapuli Primary School through Margie’s Foundation, supported by volunteers at Craft Town Scotland.

Now hundreds of pounds have been raised to build a library in the Maasais school.

The West Kilbride youngsters were joined by members of the community for their first major activity – a sponsored splashy stomp through the Glen to raise funds to create the library in Lembapuli.

Clare Edgar, from Craft Town Scotland, said the project started as a simple exercise in West Kilbride Primary last summer and snowballed from there.

She explained: “After we reopened following the pandemic, we have been doing a lot of arts education alongside the school.

“The Maasai project started last year thanks to an old colleague of mine who set up Margie’s Foundation to help schools in Tanzania.

“They don’t have a very high level of education amongst children there mainly because they have to go to work at a young age.

“I asked the school if they wanted to have their P7 pupils send letters and artworks, and it all just snowballed from there.”

Pupils and parents joined forces for a special fund-raiser in March, to help fund a revolutionary library in the Maasai school.

Clare said: “The level of energy and enthusiasm from the kids was very humbling, they were so excited about getting to help and raise money.

“The stomp was brilliant and the kids had a great time, with lots of the community coming out to take part too.

“We don’t have the final totals but we are hoping to raise around £1,500 to install the library in the school in Tanzania.

“We have to thank Michèle and John from Timberbooks who generously donated a book to every child who took part in the Stomp and also donated a book to every Maasai child in Lembapuli.”

Organisers at Craft Town Scotland and West Kilbride Primary are hoping to develop the relationship between the schools for years to come.

Clare added: “We are hoping the relationship can continue for many years to come, with what is essentially a partnership between West Kilbride and Lembapuli.

“The plan is for the P6 pupils to take up the communication and carry that forward, and so on down the year groups.

“It’s great for the children to learn about other parts of the world, and vice versa for the young people in Tanzania.

“We hope this can be the start of an exciting link between the two places, that will benefit young people on both sides for years to come.”