Bermudians are being encouraged to help transform the lives of orphans in Haiti by kitting out a new transitional home and school.

The project is the brainchild of Phillip Rego, who has raised thousands of dollars for the Eden Garden Orphanage since selling his company, Ideal Homes and Gardens Ltd., last year to dedicate his life to helping children in developing countries.

He has set up a collection point on South Shore Road, Warwick, where he will be attempting this week to fill two shipping containers donated by the Meyer agency with goods for the project.

He's appealing for a range of items from clothes to garden and building equipment which are detailed on the adjacent panel.

The orphanage helps street children who are otherwise forced into slavery to obtain food. It also serves as a school and a community centre, distributing any food it can spare and providing medical care to the impoverished local community.

The people of Bermuda have already donated more than $40,000 to the orphanage and other local projects. Now, Mr. Rego wants to start a transitional home and school for the young men at the orphanage, where they will have the opportunity to study subjects such as mechanics, sewing, computers, carpentry and art.

According to Mr. Rego, the transitional centre will present those in the 16 to 23 year bracket with a chance to make something of their lives.

"They don't have a plan," he explained. "A brain with no opportunity is a wasted brain. These boys are brilliant kids but they don't have any opportunities. All summer they sit around and wait and stare off into space because they have nothing to do."

He hopes that the people of Bermuda, who have already given so much help to his project, will once again come up with the goods to help fill his containers.

"What is trash to us is not trash to them," he urged. "If you have a passion to help, you can help with goods or help me financially, or if someone wants to they can sponsor a teacher or a child. Anything that's left over will go up into the hills (near the orphanage) where people don't have any clothes."

If you would like to help, e-mail Mr. Rego at feedmylambsministry@gmail.com, or telephone him on 535-8934 or Maria Rego on 533-3231. You can also donate directly to the charity's Bank of Bermuda account under the name Phillip Rego at 010305498012. More information is available at www.feedmylambsministry.org.

THE GOODS MR REGO NEEDS:

• Clothing and shoes in good condition no winter clothes. Clothing sizes for adults should not exceed X-large for men and size 14 for women.

• Cloth diapers, Pampers, wipes and plastic pants for the cloth diapers

• School supplies

• Back packs

• Linens

• A working lawnmower and weed eater

• Tables and chairs

• Building materials such as cement mixers, windows, doors, nails, locks, ladders and lumber.

All items must be boxed and labelled. The collection point is located at Warwick Seventh Day Adventist Church, South Shore Road, Warwick next to Warwick Gas Station and Surf Side apartments. It will be manned from today, Monday September 21 through to Friday September 25 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Mr. Rego also needs assistants to load the containers and log the items collected.