Hi all ! Welcome to my JustGiving page.

Alexandra is a township in South Africa and is one of the poorest urban areas in the country (locals commonly refer to it as "Gomorrah").  As Nelson Mandela, a past resident of Alexandra, once said:              "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world". 

I stand alongside Mr Mandela in holding this belief. 

What I will be doing this summer: 

This Summer (July 3rd to 24th August) the Warwick in Africa Programme is giving me the fantastic opportunity to act upon this belief. I, alongside 7 other Student Volunteers, will be flying over to Alexandra to teach either Maths or English to disadvantaged children in 1 of the 4 partner schools associated with the Programme. The experiences and ordeals they are confronted with on a daily basis are simply unimaginable for someone from a privileged position like myself to even begin understanding. Since 2006, the Programme has benefited a grand total of 605,000 learners raising average English test results from 44% to 66% and maths results from 35% to 53% !!  I can think of no better way to spend my summer than helping continue the great work already done. 

More information about the Programme can be found here: https://warwick.ac.uk/giving/projects/wia/ . Be sure to check out the 2018 Impact Report for a great illustration of the work done (with all the facts & figures you could have possibly dreamt of). 

What you can do to help: 

In order to participate in the Programme and to keep Warwick in Africa running for many more years to come, I need to meet a personal fundraising target of £500. However I fully intend to smash this !! That's why I'm asking for your help. Donations (however large or small) would be hugely appreciated (remember to add Gift Aid if relevant). Every pound up to and above this initial target this makes a world of difference. In the form of funding my placement, providing essential learning resources and training local teachers to make a long-term sustainable impact. 

£10 is the approximate cost to teach a child for a month. Thats equivalent to 3.8 cups of takeaway coffee, one pack of cigarettes and a single meal out (maybe less if you're not a student). Next time you make a frivolous purchase, think about lending a helping hand instead. 

To put your money where my mouth is, I will be doing something very similar to that of RED January. That being completing a run of sizeable distance everyday for the entirety of January. Seeing as Jan is well and truly behind us, I've elected March to be my time to shine. I can't promise to be fast but I can promise commitment. I won't let myself off, so days skipped (if any) will mean a gruelling forfeit ! The capstone of the month will be the Coventry Half Marathon on the 24th, I've already signed up so can't back out now. 

If you can't donate money, any tips or words of wisdom about teaching, living in Africa or anything else you can think of would be extremely helpful.