Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you are as inspired by the cause as I have been, and are able to give whatever you feel you can. Some of the students walk for hours to get to school each day, please help me to reward their efforts.

 

The Challenge: 3 Peaks in 24 Hours!

On 9th -10th July 2011 I'll be taking part in the 3 Peaks Challenge with a team of Warwick in Africa students - climbing the highest mountain in each of Scotland, England and Wales all within 24 hours! For this challenging venture, I hope to raise as much money for Warwick in Africa as possible, to continue their amazing work.

 

The Cause: Warwick in Africa

Last summer I was lucky enough to travel to the Alexandra township near Johannesburg, South Africa as part of the Warwick in Africa scheme. As part of a 12 person team, I spent 6 weeks teaching maths  to high school students in one of the most deprived parts of the city. Here you are a lucky to find enough desks for all the students, a long way away from the interactive whiteboards we take for granted here.

The money raised is given to the student teachers on the scheme. The beauty of this is that they are able to assess first hand where the money could be best spent. Last year we spent much of our sponsorship money providing the students with calculators and revision guides, for which they were incredibly grateful.

The current pass mark for students taking their final exams (matrics) is little over 30% yet surprisingly many struggle to achieve this within Alexandra's schools. Just a little help with their education can make a huge difference to prospects of further education.

 

During my time in Alex last summer there was a national teacher strike in the run up to final exams. We therefore decided to use some of the money we had raised to set up our own school in a local community centre, helping final years to prepare for exams in maths, physics and economics. With around 200 students attending each day, it was a great success.

 

Lenny Henry can tell you more about the scheme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qutW3TwO0ak