Bahrain school children redefine ‘lessons of charity’

Manama: Charity was the big winner following a swimming competition held yesterday on St Christopher School Campus in Saar. It was held in support of the Go Global Charity for Nepal and Cambodia.

The charity amount has reached BD3,000 following the earlier success of two football tournaments held at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club in March and April this year.

The brainchild behind these three events is Roma Vrijhof, a 13-year old Grade 9 Dutch student at St Christopher’s School in Isa Town, with the support of her parents Paul and Sylvia, with further support from her music teacher Kristina Bourner the head of charity affairs at St Christopher’s School and Bulgarian swimming coach Yavor Zahariev for the latest event.

Around 130 boys, girls and adults participated in five age categories from eight years and under to 15 years and over for both genders in 16 category races.

Dominant In the four-hour event, saw four titles won in the girls competition by Lauren Kenna in the eight years and under category, along with Mahika Chatterjee (9-10 years) and Roma Vrijhof (13-14 years), while four titles in the boys competition were claimed by Faris Saleh (8 years and under), Lucas Watson (9-10 years), Liam

Marshall (11-12 years) with Nicolas Subsol (13-14 years) winning three, while Aimee Syson and Al Collins won two races to emerge as the best of the adults.

Eight-year-old Bjorn Storm from Breda in the Netherlands and a Grade 2 student at St Christopher’s competed in the 50 metres breast stroke and came second.

He said: “It was fun to take part and I really enjoyed it. Before my race I bet one of the organisers (Paul) that I would do better than he thought and he had to buy a cookie for me.” He has been in Bahrain for six months.

Coach Yavor Zahariev from Varna on the Black Sea and three years in Bahrain said, “It was an amazing event, great atmosphere and a positive response from all involved.”

The organiser, Roma Vrijhof said, “We have done well selling home-made cookies, T-shirts, a raffle and other items. This was a school project last year after the quake, which encourages all of us to be aware of the needs of charity.”

The cash raised will go to help the victims in Nepal and help in the rebuilding of schools, supply of materials and books and new teachers. For Cambodia, the plan is to help setting up new schools and buildings.