A LOUTH shop manager has journeyed 4,000 miles to see how money raised by his customers has helped to tackle poverty in the Third World.
Members of Lincolnshire Co-op saw first hand how co-operatives are run Rwandan-style to help rebuild the war-torn nation.
Ryan Gryniewicz, the duty manager of Louth's Lincolnshire Co-Operative food store at Newbridge Hill travelled to Rwanda where money has helped towards changing the lives of people living in poverty.
Ryan made the journey with some of the society's other top fundraisers and was joined by membership and community manager Sam Turner, charity of the year co-ordinator Faye Niblett and society chief executive Ursula Lidbetter.
The team began their five-day adventure with a visit to the Genocide Memorial – a stark reminder of Rwanda's troubled past.
They then set about seeing how the Rwandan people have rebuilt their lives with the help of Plan Rwanda and a wave of co-operatives.
The group also had the opportunity to visit a group of former prostitutes who, with the help of Plan Rwanda, had saved up enough money together to leave their past behind and set up a cassava co-op.
They finished their adventure with a game drive in Akagera National Park, which covers 90,000 hectares of lowland savannah and wetlands.
He said: "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an insight into the Rwandan people's way of life. It puts into perspective what we take for granted.
"I didn't know what to expect. You see things on the television but it's not the same – they're so happy and positive and it's a really beautiful country.
"It was great seeing how members of the Co-ops have merged together to build a better future. They're not just thinking about the here and now but the next generation."
Each year Lincolnshire Co-op raises money for a charity voted for by its members.
Staff are still raising money for the two charities they support, Plan UK and Pascal, and have so far totted up more than £80,000. The final total will be announced in the new year.
Keep checking your Grimsby Telegraph for updates.
