Crescent Raises £1,351 For Rugby Based Charity Bwengu Projects Malawi
21 May
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On Tuesday 20 May, local Rugby resident Sam Melia, from Bwengu Projects Malawi, visited Crescent School to receive a cheque for £1,351. The cheque was presented by Year 4 pupils, Joshua and Flora, on behalf of the Year 4 classes in the school’s morning assembly in front of the whole school.
Crescent School has been supporting the work of Bwengu Projects Malawi for nearly 20 years. In fact, the school was one of the charity’s first supporters back in 2007 when they donated books for use in school libraries. Each year the Year 4 children study Africa and in particular Malawi and the work that Bwengu Projects does. Studying the challenges the people in Malawi face helps the children to appreciate the similarities and differences in our societies.
At the end of their topic, the children organise fundraising activities that the whole school participates in. The Year 4s raised money in a number of enterprising ways, including a non-uniform day and a fundraising day of activities and games. They also organised collections at the Easter Service and Spring Concert, but their most successful fundraiser was a sponsored silence, a challenge that their teachers very much enjoyed!
Bryony Forth, Deputy Head, commented, “Supporting Bwengu Projects is always a highlight of my teaching year, something which I am personally very proud to be part of. The children always enjoy studying Bwengu and comparing 'A Village Less Economically Developed with Rugby' in their Geography lessons. Over the years, we must have raised over £18,000 for this charity, and helped pay for renovating schools, building a Women's Development Centre, providing sewing machines, classroom furniture, a teacher's salary and nearly 60,000 meals for orphans.” She continued, “The children worked incredibly hard this year organising lots of events. They smashed their fundraising target, having raised a great total of £1,351. The money will be used to refurbish Matecha Early Learning Centre and to fund six months of the Llema Primary School Adult Education scheme.”
Samantha Melia was delighted and commented, “There are so many different people in need across the world and we are so grateful that every year the pupils at Crescent School choose to support Bwengu Projects and help unlock the opportunity of education for the children of Malawi.”