Socrates International Academy was set up to provide equal education opportunities to the children of a remote village in Punjab, India. For further information, please do visit www.rattarchattar.org.

During my school holidays in the summer of 2019, when I turned 11, I was a young student volunteer for a week at the school. Please visit Blogs and Photos.

Recently, I was sad to hear that the school has been badly affected by Covid-19. Due to the pandemic, many parents in the local community have lost their livelihoods and source of income which has meant that they can no longer afford to send their children to school. However, the school has waived its fees for the less privileged students (approximately 60% of a total population of 300 students).

Whilst remote learning has become the norm for most children in the developed countries, this is sadly not possible in the poorer parts of the world. Lack of affordability for smart phones or laptops and weak infrastructure make home learning almost impossible. This places a significant burden on schools with limited funding such as Socrates Academy.

I felt compelled to reach out to family, friends and my UK school community in an attempt to raise funds to help this school. The main areas they need support in are: fees, books, uniforms, computers and stable internet connections so that the children can access school from home.

Below is a list of statements which shows how much students' lives can change with a modest donation from you.

This campaign to raise funds aims to achieve the following:

• To assist with payment of fees and school books for children whose families are impacted by loss of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The school currently waives fees from these children. (approximate costs for books and uniform of USD 15,000 p.a. for the entire population of 300 students)

• To assist with the purchase of smartphones or tablets for 40 children who are unable to attend virtual classes. (approximate costs of USD 8,000 including annual wifi)

• To assist with increased expenditure due to internet and technical support costs associated with online classes. (approximate costs of USD 6,000 p.a.)

• To assist with payment of teachers' salaries following the steep drop in fee collection as a result of the pandemic. (approximate costs of USD 35,000 p.a. for teaching staff salaries)

My dream is that everyone reading this 'appeal for funds' could find some money to spare so that Socrates Academy can improve its ability to teach in this remote corner of the world so that the children can uplift themselves.

PS:100% of funds raised less processing fees (2.9% + 25pence per card transaction) will be directed to the charity. Justgiving platform seeks an optional tip on top of your donation for its running costs. Please click 'Others' in the tip drop down menu for your discretionary tip amount.