Over the summer I will be working as a part of a data collection team in Rwanda for the charity Azizi Life.

Azizi Life is a charity that runs several community projects including increasing education and literacy levels in the local community and supporting local artisans to build more sustainable practices and reach wider markets.

It costs approximately £16 to teach someone to read and write. In 2023, Azizi Life taught 1,200 students with the aim for 2024 being over 2,000 with over 1,000 people signed up for the first 6-month course.

All money raised will go directly to the Azizi Life Charity to help support these community projects, my participation is fully funded by the University of Manchester as part of their commitment to providing meaningful volunteering opportunities and promoting social responsibility overseas. My goal is to raise money for the charity itself to maximise the impact I’ll have by being involved.

Working in Africa in a civilian capacity will be a change for me, I aim to develop skills in data collection and research methods for utilisation in medical research in the future, whilst simultaneously contributing to an incredible not-for-profit dedicated to improving lives through professional support and education.

After running the Manchester Marathon in April, I will now be completing the Great Manchester Run to raise both funds and awareness for the work this fantastic charity does.

Thank you for any encouragement, support or donations!