KIND kids at a Rugby primary school have come up with enterprising ways of raising funds to help their less-fortunate counterparts in one of the world’s least-developed countries.
Year 4 children at The Crescent School have raised over £1,400 for the Bwengu Projects Malawi charity, which retired Rugby couple Sue and Tony Melia set up in 2005 after they witnessed the terrible conditions at a Malawi school where they were teaching voluntarily.
The children’s fund-raising methods included building a penny path, holding a sponsored silence, organising collections at the school’s Easter Service and Spring Concert, and running guessing games, a treasure hunt and a mystery pick-a-book event.
They smashed their target of £1,010 to fund six months of food for orphans, and solar panels for a girls’ school.
Having raised their biggest sum ever this year, children at the school have now raised nearly £10,000 in total for the charity over the last 12 years.
The school was one of the charity’s first supporters back in 2007 when they donated books for use in school libraries, one of the charity’s earliest projects.
Each year, Year 4 children at the school study Africa – and in particular Malawi and the work of the charity.
At the end of their topic, the children choose specific projects to support and organise fundraising activities in which the whole school participates.
Deputy head Bryony Forth said studying the challenges faced by people in Malawi helps the children appreciate the similarities and differences between their society and the UK.
She said: “Supporting the Bwengu Project is always a highlight of my teaching year, something which I personally am very proud to be part of. The children enjoy studying Bwengu and comparing ‘A Village Less Economically Developed than Rugby’.
“Over the years, we have helped pay for renovating schools, building a Women’s Development Centre, sewing machines, a teacher’s salary and nearly 60,000 meals for orphans.
“The children worked incredibly hard this year organising lots of events. They have smashed their fund-raising target, having raised our biggest total ever.”
Sue and daughter Samantha Melia said they were “overwhelmed” when they visited the school to receive a cheque for £1,442, which was presented by Year 4 pupils Michael Mercer and Isaac Nelson during a school assembly.
They added: “Our aims are very simple – our projects in Malawi support education.
“It is difficult to ask a question of those that lead you if you cannot read, write or even count. Our philosophy is simply helping the many to help themselves.
“The Crescent children help unlock that opportunity for children in Malawi.”
