BIG-hearted kids at a Rugby primary school put the ‘fun’ into fund-raising to help a Rugby-based charity care for and feed children in one of the world’s least-developed countries.
Year 4 children at The Crescent School have raised over £2,000 for the Bwengu Projects Malawi charity, which 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.
Each year, Year 4 children at the school study Africa, Malawi and the work of the charity, and organise fund-raising activities for the whole school to participate in.
This year, they raised money through various activities including a non-uniform day, a charity games day and a sponsored silence – a challenge which their teachers very much enjoyed!
The children decided to donate the money they raised to a project funding the much-needed renovation of Nachimphu Orphan Care and Early Learning Centre in Malawi.
The school was one of the Bwengu Projects Malawi’s first supporters back in 2007 when it donated books for use in school libraries – one of the charity’s earliest projects.
Sue and Tony’s daughter Sam, who works with the charity, visited the school to receive a cheque for £2,036 from Year 4 pupils Evelyn and Albert during an assembly.
Sam said she was overwhelmed, adding: “This is really wonderful.
“There are so many different people in need across the world and we are so grateful that every year the pupils at the Crescent help unlock the opportunity of education for the children of Malawi.”
Deputy Head Bryony Forth said supporting the charity was always a highlight of her teaching year.
She said: “It is something which I personally am very proud to be part of.
“The children always enjoy studying Bwengu and comparing ‘A Village Less Economically Developed than Rugby’ in their Geography lessons, and they are always enthusiastic about supporting the charity.
“Over the years, we must have raised nearly £20,000 and helped pay for repairing and refurbishing several schools, building a Women’s Development Centre, classroom furniture, 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 fundraising target.
“The money will be used to renovate the buildings at Nachimphu Orphan Care and Early Learning Centre and there will money left over to support the charity’s other projects as well.”
