The small village of Bofareira lies about 8 miles east, by road from the capital of Sal Rei on the island of Boa Vista, in the Cape Verde islands. Lee Jackson at the London Rock Kent office has stopped off there many times over recent years while on family holidays for beer and snacks. There are 2 local’s bars and no shops, the village is not on a main route so passing trade is extremely limited.

In recent years the large diesel generator that ran 25/7 has been replaced by overhead power but there is no piped fresh water as yet.

The village has a population of slightly over 200 and around 30 of these are children of schooling age. Unfortunately, the government does not provide classroom equipment for the children, it is supplied solely by the parents.

London Rock have always supported international aid. In this instance we have been able to help directly, rather than through a third party organisation, by checking in the school equipment as sports luggage on the airline and delivering to the village in a hire vehicle, guaranteeing 100% it gets to right people.

In May 2019 we returned to Bofareira village with school equipment for all ages including pens, pencils, crayons, books and new backpacks for every child. There were also toys for the Kindergarten.

Project Second Step was started in February 2017 by ONZE ESTRELAS CLUBE DE BOFAREIRA (Eleven Stars Club of Bofareira) to secure a bus to address:

“The lack of frequent, safer and less costly transport for those who work in the city, for the students who have to go to the high school, and for a considerable number of people – mainly young people – who face unemployment because have no place to live in Sal-Rei and are unable to commute from Bofareira village”

Apart from Naturalia no offers of help were received from any of the local or international companies approached at the time.

In November 2019, London Rock alongside Naturalia, sponsored the purchase of a new mini bus for the village to realise Project Second Step. The vehicle was officially handed over in February 2020 by Lee Jackson from the London Rock Kent office and Stravagante (Far left) from Naturalia.