A consignment of books, science equipment, toys and other items which were deemed surplus to requirements following the merger of Ysgol Maes yr Yrfa and Ysgol y Gwendraeth has been delivered to children in the Gambia.

The shipment — along with items collected by numerous other groups, schools and individuals in the Gwendraeth Valley — was handed over by Gareth Oliver of Cross Hands who has been working in the west African country for four years.

The 41-year-old, who was given the Gambian name Omar Ceesay by locals in recognition of his work to improve the lives of children, first went to the country as a volunteer in August 2011.

He was shocked to discover the village where he was based had no running water, infrequent electricity supplies, no sanitation and temperatures of up to 40 degrees centigrade.

Most parents cannot afford to pay the £25 a year required to send their children to school.

Gareth then sent a message home to mum Jean saying: “Can you send some toys, I have seen very few toys – they play with broken pieces of glass and earth.”

Jean then set about collecting donations and together with the ladies of the Mother’s Union in St Davids diocese formed O'r Gwendraeth i'r Gambia to raise funds and donations.

Last year’s amalgamation of the two Gwendraeth Valley schools created a surplus of equipment, and 84 crates of goods, containing textbooks, dictionaries, atlases, toys, clothing, educational paper, pencils, rulers and other equipment, were donated to the project by the school and family and friends.

Members of the Mothers' Union also knitted soft toys and people donated toys and jigsaws.

The cost of shipping the equipment was covered by a series of fundraising coffee mornings in Penygroes and a O'r Gwendraeth i'r Gambia lunch, provided by sisters Olwen, Iona and Delyth Collier – all cousins Gareth.