Hi, my name is Cecilia, and I am an ESOL teacher at a large college in London.

On Monday morning, I received an email from one of my students, Raissa, who shared the heartbreaking news that her mother has passed away following surgery. Raissa is a 17-year-old girl from Congo who arrived in London two years ago. She is an outstanding and hard-working student, currently living with her father and stepmother.

Raissa would dearly love to return to Congo to attend her mother’s funeral. Unfortunately, her family used their savings to help cover the cost of her mother’s medical treatment and now cannot afford the flight.

I am reaching out to the community to ask for support in raising enough funds to help Raissa travel home and say her final goodbye to her mother.