In September and October last year I was fortunate enough to visit Africa and volunteer in Kenya. I spent several weeks at Star of Hope School which is in Kibera, in Nairobi. It was a truly inspiring trip spending time in Kibera, which is the biggest slum in Africa and one of the largest in the world! There are approx 85 children attending the school at present, all of whom are either vulnerable or orphaned and live in the slum. Before I left, myself and another volunteer provided enough food to feed the children for about 2 months but this will not last. The 'Feed to Succeed' program, aims to provide these children with a healthy breakfast and lunch each day, which in turn will give them a greater quality of life and education in school. Having seen and spent time with these children I know how important this feeding program is and how essential it is they do not go hungry and have enough food to support their education.

I was also lucky enough to spend a week teaching at Shikamana School in Diani, Mombasa. This was another amazing, yet eye-opening experience. Shikamana School aims to provide education to children who, due to poverty or being orphaned would otherwise not be able to attend school. The staff at the school work tirelessly and with little resources, to provide the children with quality, interactive and fun education. It was a joy to see how happy the children are that attend and how important it is that this continues. By fundraising, I hope to support as many children as possible with money going towards school fees, shoes, books and clothing for a year at school.

It is my aim to set 1 challenge a month to complete this year and by getting sponsorship for these challenges, we can work together to raise enough to get the feeding program started at Star of Hope School and provide sponsorship towards children's education at Shikamana School too. If you would like to support me, any amount big or small will help and make a huge difference to the lives of these children in Africa.

To kick start this month, I am challenging myself to a dry January (no alcohol) as well as no cheese or chocolate! It might seem a small task to some but these 3 things I like, a lot! So, none of the above for one whole month and if you would like to sponsor me to do this, whilst raising money for very worthy causes then dig deep. I will keep you updated on the target and the challenge for next month!

If you would like any additional information about either of these schools and the projects that are being supported then message me and I can pass on the details. I am really hopeful that together we can reach this target! Thank you.