African LEAF children with the first DHL shipment of clothes

Worldwide courier company DHL has shown that large organisations really can make a difference after it offered its services free of charge to Byron Bay based charity African LEAF.

LEAF supports orphaned and vulnerable children from the slums of Nairobi, and DHL has agreed to send up to 50kg of consignments to Nairobi, four times a year, free of charge. African LEAF has already taken advantage of the offer and has shipped three boxes of toys to the Mbagathi Steiner School in Nairobi where they sponsor 16 orphaned children.

The clothing was donated through Nga Nguyen, who collected it from members of her Linh SonVietnamese Temple community at Darra in Brisbane.

It will be given to the LEAF children, as well as any other children at the school in need of clothing.

Some baby clothes also included in the shipment will go to babies via the health clinic in the local slum.

LEAF director, Eva Schaefer said that DHL’s offer was a god-send.

“I know that the LEAF children will be absolutely delighted to receive these clothes and shoes,” Ms Schaefer said.

“Some friends of mine had donated clothing and we didn’t know how we were going to be able to send it.”

“We occasionally receive similar donations which we’ve had to refuse in the past because overseas shipments were unaffordable for us.”