This September, I am going to be doing something a bit different from my usual routine; I'll be attempting an entire month of exercise and fitness, in order to raise money for Camfed. 

I recently decided that it was time to get healthy, after spending many many years being totally at the other end of that particular spectrum. I've recently lost 50lbs, and I still have a fair way to go, so I thought I'd keep myself on plan and do it for a good cause. 

I'm fundraising for Camfed as I strongly believe that educating women can help solve poverty in many forms, and Camfed work with women in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa to turn them into leaders of tomorrow. 

Camfed's Safety Net Fund provides essential items to children at primary school to prevent them from dropping out of school. They provide holistic and targeted support for girls to go to secondary school, covering needs that include school fees, uniforms, books, pens, boarding fees and disability aids.

Camfed's program works because of the commitment of local volunteers. These volunteers include everyone from traditional leaders, to government education officials, teachers, parents, and former students. CAMA alumnae partner with their communities to support more vulnerable children to go to school, by providing school meals, paying school fees, buying supplies, or providing a home to orphans.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 28 million* girls are out of school. Poverty is the greatest barrier to accessing an education – overcoming this barrier by investing in girls and women is a proven way to improve the health and wealth of entire nations. It's also one of the most effective ways of tackling climate change. With access to education we can do amazing things: launch businesses, become health workers, run schools, and lead governments, making the world a better place for everyone.

If a girl in the five countries Camfed work in is educated:

 - She'll earn up to 25% more per year in secondary school
 - She'll reinvest 90% of her earnings in her family
 - She'll be 3 times less likely to become HIV-positive
 - She'll marry later and have a smaller, healthier family
 - She'll invest in her children's education and support their studies
 - She'll resist gender-based violence and discrimination, and change her community from within.

You can find out more about Camfed, their stories and successes, here: https://camfed.org

* Find out more in the 2015 UNESCO/UNICEF Report Fixing the Broken Promise of Education for All