If you were given the opportunity to make a difference in the world…would you take it?
Did you know that:
· Over 100 million African children do not attend school.
· Almost every second person in Africa lives below the poverty line, living on less than $1.25 USD per day.
· 1 in every 5 people living in Africa are malnourished; the highest rate worldwide, with 9 out of 10 African children not meeting the minimum criteria for acceptable diets outlined by the World Health Organisation.
· More than 30% of African children suffer from physical and mental underdevelopment due to chronic malnutrition.
· Malaria kills 3000 African children daily.
· Approximately 53 million people across Africa live in slum conditions.
In February 2020, 14 social science students from the University of Wollongong will be traveling to Kenya and Tanzania, where we will be working with the Australian registered charity, So They Can, and the International Child Resource Institute (ICRI Kenya) to help empower local communities. The students travelling to Kenya will also collaborate with students from the University of Nairobi to explore prominent issues in East Africa. These will include quality education, affordable housing, healthcare, food security and manufacturing. The students travelling to Tanzania will collaborate with teachers, pre-service teachers and students from primary schools in the Babati district of Tanzania.
The programs aim to create a platform of mutual learning and combined benefit. It is an opportunity for us to experience different cultures and contexts to increase our capacity to be flexible and to explore how we can apply our learning regardless of our location.
In preparation for our cultural immersion experience, we are aiming to raise donations for So They Can and ICRI to support their mission to break the cycle of poverty through creating education opportunities within communities. We greatly appreciate all donations, as a small donation that may seem insignificant to you could make the world of difference for those living in less fortunate circumstances.
With many thanks,
Ally, Amanda, Brianna, Ellena, Grace, Ian, Jessica, Katrina G, Katrina M, Kristen, Lauren, Lisa, Mackenzie, Natalie, Rebecca, Sally, Tara and Wilma.
To further explore the work of So They Can, please visit their website at: https://www.sotheycan.org/ and;
To further explore the work of ICRI Kenya please visit their website at:
http://www.icriafrica.org/web/index.php