In June 2017 I will travelling out to Rwanda, Africa as part of my university course. I will be working for a charity that delivers cricket and other sports sessions to children in schools and communities, during these coaching sessions the aim is to spread awareness of HIV and AIDS. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a global epidemic, but sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionately large burden of the disease, with an estimated 69% of all people infected with HIV living in this part of the continent.
HIV remains an on-going challenge for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. While there has been real progress in the last 10 years - with falling infection rates and fewer HIV-related deaths - the vast majority of people who live in these countries continue to either be infected or affected by the disease. In sub-Saharan Africa there are currently 24.7 million people living with HIV, with 1.5 million new infections each year.
The charity I am working with aims is to tackle HIV through prevention, testing and challenging stigma. This is done by teaching children and communities through coached cricket sessions. The children in the community are extremely thankful for volunteers who come out to coach them as it is rare that they are able to take part in organised sport but thoroughly enjoy it.

The funds raised will go towards the charity and equipment for the communities. I will also be taking part in a 10K run to help with my fundraising (which will be a challenge for me).

Thank you for any donations towards the Rwanda project.